Monthly Current Affairs Capsule - June 2018 Highlights

Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule – June 2018
S. No Topics Page No.
1. Important Days 2
2. Important Banking News 2
3. Important Financial & Economy Affairs 8
4. Important Business News 10
5. Important State Wise National News 10
6. Important International News 29
7. Important Appointments 33
8. Important Awards and Honors 34
9. Important MOU and Agreements 35
10. Important Summit & Conference 37
11. Important Mobile App and Web Portal 40
12 Important Defence News 42
13. Important Schemes And Programs 44
14. Important Ranking and Indexes 47
15 Books And Authors 47
16. Important Sports News 47
17. Important Obituaries 52
IMPORTANT DAYS
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Date Observed Day Theme/Purpose
June 1 World Milk Day “Drink Move Be Strong”

Global Day of Parents
June 3 World Bicycle Day
June 4 World Day of Innocent Children
Victims of Aggression
June 5 World Environment Day “Beat Plastic Pollution”
June 8 World Oceans Day Preventing plastic pollution and
encouraging solutions for a healthy
ocean
June 12 World Day Against Child Labor
June 14 World Blood Donor Day Be there for someone else. Give blood.
Share life
June 15 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
June 16 International Integration Day
June 18 International Picnic Day
June 20 World Refugee Day ‘Now More Than Ever, We Need to
Stand with Refugees’.
June 21 World Music Day
International day of Yoga ‘Yoga for Harmony & Peace.
June 23 International Olympic Day
International Widows Day International Widows' Day
June 26 International Day against Drug Abuse "Listen First - Listening to children and
and Illicit Trafficking youth is the first step to help them grow
healthy and safe."
June 27 MSME Day The Youth Dimension
June 29 National Statistics Day ‘‘Quality Assurance in Official Statistics’
June 30 International Asteroid Day
June 4 to June 8 Financial Literacy Week
3rd Sunday of June Father’s Day
IMPORTANT BANKING NEWS
RBI
RBI tweaks norms to boost affordable housing lending:
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increased the eligibility limit for a loan to classify as priority sector
lending in a bid to boost affordable housing
 For metropolitan areas, loan limits have been raised from Rs 28 lakh to Rs 35 lakh and for other areas, it
has been increased from Rs.20 lakh to Rs.25 lakh, provided the overall cost of the home does not exceed
Rs.45 lakh and Rs.30 lakh respectively.
New Information Repository to be set up by RBI
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 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will set up a Public Credit Registry (PCR) as a repository of information
regarding loan information of individuals and corporate borrowers. The decision has been taken as per the
recommendations of Y.M. Deosthalee committee set up by the central bank.
 As per recommendation of Deosthalee committee, RBI should set up a Public Credit Registry in due course
and this should be backed by a legal framework. The central bank may also consider moving such registry to
a separate non-profit entity.
 PCR will work as a repository of all loan contracts, duly verified by reporting institutions for all / any lending
in India, regardless of the amount of the loan. PCR will distinguish between bad borrowers and good
borrowers and will offer interest rates accordingly.
RBI Amends Gold Monetisation Scheme To Make It More Attractive:
 RBI has made changes in the Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) to make it more attractive. The revamping
of the scheme is aimed at enabling people to open a hassle-free gold deposit account.
 The short-term deposits should be treated as bank's on-balance sheet liability. These deposits will be made
with the designated banks for a short period of 1-3 years (with a facility of rollover). Deposits can also be
allowed for broken periods (e.g. 1 year 3 months; 2 years 4 months 5 days; etc.).
Reserve Bank aims to tighten working capital loan norms:
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed a minimum 40% loan component for working capital
funding of Rs.150 crore and above to bring in greater credit discipline and improve monetary
transmission.
 According to draft guidelines, the RBI has proposed that the loan component of 40% will come into effect
from October 1 and will be increased to 60% from April 1, 2019. The loan’s tenure will be minimum seven
days.
Reserve Bank eases norms for FPIs to invest in debt:
 FPIs are allowed to invest in various debt market instruments such as government bonds, treasury bills,
state development loans and corporate bonds, but with certain limits and restrictions.
 The RBI increased the FPIs cap on investment in government securities to 30% of the outstanding stock of
that security, from the 20% earlier.
 FPIs are permitted to invest in corporate bonds with minimum residual maturity of above 1 year. The
short-term investments in corporate bonds by an FPI shall not exceed 20% of total investment of that FPI
in corporate bonds.
Centre kick starts merger of RRBs
 The government has decided to start the consolidation process of Regional Rural Banks (RRB) after a gap
of six years and bring down the number of such entities to 38 from 56 now.
 In a communication to the chiefs of public sector banks, which are the sponsors of the RRBs, the finance
ministry asked them to amalgamate the RRBs within a State.
RBI tells banks to upgrade software at ATMs by June 2019 or face penalty:
 With banks failing to upgrade software in automated teller machines (ATM) despite repeated reminders,
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has now directed the banks to complete the process in a phased manner
latest by June 2019.
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 Banks have been asked to upgrade 25% of the ATMs by September 2018, 50% by December 2018, 75% by
March 2019 and all by June 2019. Security measures should be implemented by August 2018 and anti-
skimming and white-listing solutions by March 2019.
RBI revises upwards housing loan limits under priority sector
 The housing loan limits for eligibility under priority sector lending will be revised to Rs 35 lakh in
metropolitan centres Rs 28 lakh earlier (with population of ten lakh and above), and to Rs 25 lakh from Rs
20 lakh earlier in other centres, provided the overall cost of the dwelling unit in the metropolitan centre
and at other centres does not exceed Rs 45 lakh and Rs 30 lakh, respectively.
 The existing limit for family income of Rs 2 lakh per annum for loans to housing projects for home
construction economically weaker sections and low income groups, is revised to Rs 3 lakh per annum and
Rs 6 lakh per annum respectively in alignment with the income criteria specified under the Pradhan
Mantri Awas Yojana.
RBI proposes Board of Management for urban co-operative banks
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) proposed setting up of Board of Management (BoM) in all Urban Co-
operative Banks (UCBs) having deposits of over Rs 100 crore within one year to strengthen governance
and promote professional management in these banks.
 Board of Management (BoM) will be in addition to the Board of Directors (BoD). The BoD will continue to
be apex policy setting body and constitute various committees of board including BoM to assist it to carry
out its functions. It will look after all administrative functions of UCBs as spelt out in respective Co-
operatives Act. It will be responsible for credit, risk and liquidity management of UCBs. BoM will be
constituted by BoD.
 BoM will have minimum 3 members in UCBs having deposit size up to Rs 100 crore and 5 members in
UCBs having deposit size above Rs 100 crore.The maximum number of members in BoM will not exceed
12. Not more than 50% of BoM members should be from BoD. Under all circumstances, BoM should have
atleast two members outside from BoD. Existing UCBs having deposit size exceeding Rs 100 crore will set
up BoM within period of 1 year and banks less than it may constitute BoM within 2 years.
 The expert committee on licensing of new urban co-operative banks (2010) constitued under chairmanship
of YH Malegam had recommended that BoM should be constituted in every UCB, in addition to BoDs.
 This was reiterated by high powered committee on UCBs headed by R. Gandhi constituted in Jan 2015 by
RBI.
SBI
Arijit Basu Appointed SBI's New Managing Director
 The government appointed Arjit Basu as Managing Director of the country's largest lender State Bank of
India (SBI). He will fill the position that fell vacant following the elevation of Rajnish Kumar as the
chairman.
 Now, after this, the SBI will have four managing directors. As per the SBI Act, the bank can have four
managing directors. Mr Basu has held several key positions in various circles of SBI including the bank's
office in Tokyo, Japan.
SBI in process to shut 9 foreign offices as part of rationalisation
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 State Bank of India (SBI) has closed six foreign branches and is in the process of closing down another
nine branches as part of rationalisation of overseas operations, said Managing Director (Retail & Digital
Banking) Praveen Kumar Gupta.
HDFC
HDFC Bank increases lending rate by 10 bps
 HDFC Bank, the second largest private sector lender of the country, increased its marginal cost of fund-
based lending rate (MCLR) by 10 basis points (bps) across various loan tenures. As a result, its one-year
MCLR is now at 8.4%.
HDFC Bank wins Cabinet nod to raise Rs24,000 crore via FDI:
 The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to grant private-sector lender HDFC Bank
permission to raise additional capital of up to Rs.24,000 crore through foreign direct investment.
HDFC, 5th Biggest Consumer Financial Services Company Worldwide: Forbes
 Housing finance major HDFC has been ranked as the 5th biggest public company globally in the ‘consumer
financial services category’ on a list compiled by Forbes magazine. HDFC’s rank has moved up from 7th
place last year. American Express has topped this category, while Indiabulls Housing Finance is the only
other Indian company (at 13th place) on the list.
ICICI
MARG ERP Ltd partners with ICICI Bank:
 Marg ERP limited, a leading Inventory and Accounting software solution company has partnered with
ICICI Bank to offer an integrated payments platform to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME)
customers, using MARG’s accounting software. ICICI bank is the India’s largest private sector bank by
consolidated assets.
ICICI Bank names Sandeep Bakhshi as COO:
 ICICI Bank’s MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar, at the centre of a row over conflict of interest, has decided to
go on leave till an independent probe into the allegations is completed. The bank has appointed chief
executive of its life insurance arm Sandeep Bakhshi as whole-time director and Chief Operating Officer to
run the bank during her absence.
 Ms. Kochhar will continue as MD and CEO and Mr. Bakhshi will report to the board during her leave. All
executive directors and the executive management will report to Mr. Bakhshi, the bank informed the stock
exchanges following a meeting of its board on Monday. After Ms. Kochhar returns, Mr. Bakhshi will report
to her.
YES BANK
Rana Kapoor re-appointed MD & CEO for Yes Bank

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 Yes Bank shareholders have approved the re-appointment of Rana Kapoor as the bank’s chief executive
officer and managing director for a period of three years.
 The AGM also approved the appointment of Subhash Chander Kalia and Ajai Kumar as non-executive non-
independent directors.
Yes Bank gets SEBI nod for custodian of securities business
 Yes Bank has received approval from market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for
acting as custodian of securities. Custodian of securities is a licence granted by Sebi to eligible entities
allowing them to offer custodial services to financial market participants including foreign institutional
investors (FIIs) and foreign portfolio investors (FPIs).
 This will complement the bank’s existing capital market offerings and enable it to play a larger role in
channelising domestic and foreign investments into Indian financial market. The bank has leveraged its
global reach through its international banking team, IFSC banking unit in GIFT City and its representative
office in Abu Dhabi as a part of its strategy.
YES Bank ties up with Kerala Start-up Mission
The Kerala Start-up Mission and YES Bank are joining hands to provide a host of corporate and
commercial banking services focused on start-ups in the state. The Start-up Mission is the nodal agency of
the Kerala government, aimed at development of entrepreneurship and incubation activities in the state.
INDUSIND BANK
IndusInd Bank gets RBI nod for setting up arm for BFIL merger:
 The RBI has allowed IndusInd Bank to incorporate a wholly-owned subsidiary for the amalgamation of
micro-lender Bharat Financial Inclusion (BFIL) with the bank.
 The bank and BFIL had earlier said that they had got approval from stock exchanges for their proposed
merger, paving way to file the draft scheme of amalgamation. The bank had received RBI’s no-objection to
the proposed merger in March.
WORLD BANK
World Bank nod for Rs.6,000 cr. groundwater recharge plan:
 To address concerns about depleting groundwater reserves in India, the government has joined hands with
the World Bank to execute a Rs.6,000-crore scheme called the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY).
OTHER BANKING NEWS
IDFC Bank had received the RBI’s approval for merger of Capital First:
 IDFC Bank said it had received the RBI’s approval for merger of Capital First, Capital First Home Finance
and Capital First Securities with the company.
Corporation Bank bags Best Expectation Management (Mid Cap)’ award for 2017-18:
 Corporation Bank has bagged an award instituted by Investor Relations Society India. The bank was
chosen for ‘Investor Relations Awards 2018’ under the category ‘Best Expectation Management (Mid Cap)’
for 2017-18.
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Canara Bank fined in UK for anti-money laundering breaches :
 Britain's markets regulator has fined the UK division of India's Canara Bank blocked it from accepting
new deposits for around five months for systemic anti-money laundering (AML) failures.
Sunil Mehta will be heading the ARC panel for stressed assets :
 The finance ministry has set up a committee to examine the possibility of setting up an asset
reconstruction company or an asset management company to fast track resolution of stressed assets.
Punjab National Bank’s non executive chairman Sunil Mehta will be heading the panel.
 Bank of Baroda’s MD and CEO P.S. Jayakumar will be one of the members and another member would be
nominated from State Bank of India. The committee will submit its report in two weeks.
Mobile banking: Paytm tops volumes, Axis value:
 At 17.2%, Axis Bank commands the largest value share of mobile banking transactions but it’s Paytm that
tops volumes with 22%. However, Paytm’s value share is a meager 0.25%, according to State Bank of
India’s (SBI) annual report for 2017-18 which has put out Reserve Bank of India’s data for January 2018.
 ICICI Bank has a 17.1% share of transactions by value and 9.7% by volume. SBI’s volume share has slipped
by over 5 percentage points from nearly 25% at the end of March 2017 to 19.5% in January 2018. The
lender has also lost value share from to 16.8% from a high 44.4% a year ago.
Oriental Bank of Commerce awarded for Atal Pension Yojana
 Oriental Bank of Commerce has been awarded as the best public sector bank for Atal Pension Yojana for
the year 2017-18. MoS for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla presented the awarded to Mukesh Kumar Jain, MD
and CEO of the bank.
SBI MD B Sriram took charge as the CEO and MD of IDBI Bank for 3 months
 He has been appointed in place of Mahesh Kumar Jain who was recently made the Deputy Governor of
RBI. Sriram currently manages SBI's corporate banking division, which has a loan book exceeding Rs10
lakh crore.
AIIB to invest $200 mn in infra fund
 The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will pump $200 million into the National Investment &
Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). The funding was announced by economic affairs secretary Subash Chandra
Garg ahead of the third AIIB annual meeting which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
EXIM Bank extends USD 10 million loan facility to Seychelles
 The Export-Import Bank of India(Exim Bank) announced that it has extended USD 10 million worth of
line of credit (LOC) to Seychelles for healthcare and procurement of goods and projects. It is the first
tranche of the $50 million sanctioned by the Exim Bank to the country. With this agreement for $10
million, Exim Bank has extended two LOCs to Seychelles, taking the total value to $28 million.
IRDA approves LIC-IDBI Bank deal
 The Board of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) has approved Life Insurance
Corporation’s (LIC) proposal to the acquisition of up to 51% stake in state-run lender IDBI Bank. The
insurance regulator gave the insurer exemption from 15% investment cap. The LIC is expected to invest Rs
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10,000-13,000 crore in tranches in the NPA-mired state-run lender. The deal will also require approval
from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
India will get Black Money Data from Swiss Bank by 2019
 As part of a bilateral treaty signed between the India and Switzerland, India would start getting data on
deposits made by Indians this year in Swiss Banks from 2019. Strong action would be taken against those
found guilty of wrongdoing. Under Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) which was introduced by former
Finance Minister P Chidambaram, an individual could remit up to USD 2,50,000 per year.
IMPORTANT FINANCIAL & ECONOMY AFFAIRS
Fiscal deficit for FY18 at 3.5% of GDP:
 India’s fiscal deficit in the year ended March 2018 came in at 3.53% of gross domestic product, in line with
the revised estimates. For the current fiscal year, the government estimates to trim the deficit to 3.3% of
GDP.
Government puts FY18 growth at 6.7%:
 Stronger growth of 7.7% in the fourth -quarter GDP estimates for 2017--18, driven in large part by the
manufacturing and construction sectors, led to an upward revision in the GDP growth projection for the
full year to 6.7%.
Cholamandalam to invest Rs. 50 cr in home finance arm:
 The board of Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Ltd., a part of Murugappa Group, has
decided to invest Rs.50 crore in its wholly owned subsidiary Cholamandalam home Finance Ltd. Chola will
make the investment in one or more tranches, the company said in a regulatory filing. Besides, it was also
decided to appoint M.M. Murugappan as an additional director of the company with immediate effect.
Indian Oil Most Profitable PSU For 2nd Straight Year
 Indian Oil Corporation has emerged as India's most profitable state-owned company for the second
consecutive year. Indian Oil posted a record profit of Rs21,346 crore in 2017-18, followed by ONGC, whose
profit stood at Rs19,945 crore.
India And World Bank Signs $500 Million Additional Financing For PMGSY:
 The Government of India and the World Bank signed a $500 million loan agreement to provide additional
financing for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Rural Roads Project, implemented by
Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India, which will build 7,000 km of climate resilient roads, out of
which 3,500 km will be constructed using green technologies.
India gives Rs 99 million to Nepal for installing shallow tube wells
 India has extended a financial aid of Rs 99 million to Nepal for the construction of 2,700 shallow tube well
irrigation systems in 12 districts of the country's southern Terai region to boost agricultural productivity.
SEBI constitutes Group to review ITP framework:
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 Market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) constituted Group to look into existing
Institutional Trading Platform (ITP) framework and suggest measures to facilitate listing of startups.
 The members of the group include representatives from Indian Software Product Industry Round Table
(iSPIRT), Indian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (IVCA), Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE), law
firms, merchant bankers and stock exchanges.
 It will look into existing ITP framework and suggest measures to facilitate listing of startups. The group
will submit report to SEBI within period of one month i.e. by July 2018. ITP framework is window on
stock exchanges where e-commerce, data analytics, bio-technology and other startups can list and trade on
their shares.
Govt approves financial assistance of Rs. 5.5 lakh per family
 The Union Govt approved financial assistance amounting to Rs. 5.5 lakh per family to West Pakistan
Refugees (WPRs). It will benefit 5,764 families of WPRs settled in Jammu and Kashmir. The scheme
comes into effect from Jun 2018.
Muthoot Fincorp, NSDC To Train 10,000 Youth Under PMKVY
 Muthoot Fincorp Limited announced its partnership with National Skill Development Corporation to train
over 10,000 youth over the next three years and make them job ready.
 With the partnership, Muthoot Fincorp claims to have become the first major private sector player to
partner with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to launch the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas
Yojana (PMKVY.2) programme. NSDC has approved a target of 3,000 candidates in the first year and
3,500 each in the subsequent two years.
IRDAI Sets Up Panel To Review Norms For Marketing Firms
 IRDAI has formed a panel to review the regulations pertaining to insurance marketing firms. The
committee is headed by Suresh Mathur, Executive Director (insurance marketing firms), IRDAI, with nine
more members.
 The new distribution channel of insurance marketing firms was introduced in 2015 by IRDAI,with the
objective of increasing insurance penetration in the country through an area-wise registration approach.
The channel has now been in operation for three years. The committee will come up with
recommendations before July 31, 2018, according to an order issued by IRDAI.
18,000 banks branches, post offices have Aadhaar facility now: UIDAI
 Less than a year after banks and post offices were asked to set up Aadhaar facility on their premises, as
many as 18,000 centres have come up for enrolment and updation of the biometric ID at such locations,
UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey
SEBI Simplifies Buyback Regulations, Changes IPO Price Band Timeline:
 The Securities and Exchange Board (SEBI) has approved amendments to buyback and takeover
regulations and changed the time for announcing the price band of initial public offering (IPO) from 5 to 2
days, according to the chairman of SEBI, Ajay Tyagi.
 SEBI had made a proposal to bring changes based on suggestions made by the regulator’s Primary Market
Advisory Committee (PMAC). In a consultation paper, SEBI had proposed that entities would not be
required to file draft papers for rights issue worth up to Rs 10 crore.
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IMPORTANT BUSINESS NEWS
India plans to cut oil imports from Iran amid US request:
 After US re-imposed sanctions against Iran after it withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal, India is planning
to cut oil imports from Iran, and replacing them with more purchases from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. This
comes after the US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley asked PM Narendra Modi to reduce India's
dependence on Iran. Iran is India’s third largest oil supplier behind Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
Reliance Industries investing in India’s first carbon fiber unit:
 Reliance Industries is investing in setting up India’s first carbon fiber manufacturing unit to cater to
aerospace and defense needs, the company said in its annual report.
Microsoft acquires Social Learning Platform Flipgrid in latest challenge to Google:
 Microsoft has acquired Flipgrid, an education start-up with an app that lets students record and share
videos on specific topics with their classmates. Microsoft is making Flipgrid free of charge. Schools that
already have subscriptions will receive prorated refunds.
Microsoft acquires AI startup Bonsai
 Microsoft announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Bonsai, an artificial intelligence (AI)
startup based in San Francisco, to boost its AI and machine learning capabilities. Based in Berkeley,
California, Bonsai was founded in 2014 and has around 42 employees.
HCL Tech Acquires German IT Firm H&D
 HCL Technologies has acquired German IT and engineering services provider H&D International Group.
Through this deal, HCL Tech will attain significant in-country front office and delivery capabilities, which
will further enhance its domain expertise in the global automotive sector.
IMPORTANT STATE WISE NATIONAL NEWS
Andhra Pradesh
Capital – Amravati; CM – Chandrababu Naidu; Governor - ESL Narasimhan
Singapore signs MoU for Amravati development
 The AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) and Singapore-Amravati Investments Holding
Ltd (SAIH) signed a Concession and Development Agreement (CADA) in the presence of Chief Minister N
Chandrababu Naidu and Singapore Minister for Communications S Iswaran to develop the start-up area in
Amravati during the 3rd Joint Implementation Committee meeting (JISC) in Vijayawada.
Andhra Pradesh is the first state to use auto-disable syringes which will be enforced from the
World Hepatitis Day.
 The medical device sector has hailed Andhra Pradesh's move to to use auto-disable syringes for all clinical
purposes from World Hepatitis Day on July 28 to prevent infection.
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Chandrababu Naidu says Polavaram project to be completed by 2019
 The mammoth Polavaram project is considered to be the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh and the same is likely
to be completed by 2019. chief minister Chandrababu Naidu said in his speech that although the Centre is
not granting funds, the project will be completed by 2019.
 Polavaram Project is a multi-purpose irrigation project which has been accorded national project
status.The project aims to benefit farmers directly and indirectly and also reduce the shortage of drinking
water.
Arunachal Pradesh
Capital – Itanagar; CM – PremaKhandu; Governor - B D Mishra
Andhra Pradesh nod for unemployment allowance
 The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to pay Rs 1,000 a month as unemployment allowance to
eligible youth. Approximately, 10 lakh graduates/diploma holders will benefit, IT Minister Nara Lokesh
said. A final decision would be taken after eliciting suggestions from the youth.
Pattiseema will help revive Krishna delta
 The Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme will help revive the Krishna delta to its past glory and infuse life
back into the Krishna that has dried up completely
 Releasing water to the Krishna Eastern Delta from the new regulator here on Wednesday, Mr. Naidu said
the Krishna delta, which was once highly fertile, had dried up and turned saline.
Assam
Capital – Dispur; CM – Sarbananda Sonowal; Governor - Prof. Jagdish Mukhi
Assam government to launch awareness programme — Sanskar
 The Assam government is planning to launch an awareness programme, ‘Sanskar’ in all development
blocks and panchayats. This comes in the wake of incidents triggered by superstition and ignorance
including the lynching of two young artistes in Karbi Anglong district of the state.
19 cancer centres in Assam to start functioning from mid 2020
 The Assam government on Saturday announced that 19 cancer care centres, to be set up across the State in
partnership with Tata Trusts on an investment of Rs. 1,910 crore, will start functioning from mid-2020.
The foundation stone of the proposed centres will be laid at a function on June 18.
Annual Ambubachi Mela started in Assam:
 The annual Ambubachi Mela started at Nilachall hillock where the Kamakhya temple is situated, in Assam.
Over 10 lakh devotees are expected to attend the mela.
Centre Releases Rs 340 Crore For Flood Relief In Assam
Centre has released 340 crore rupees for flood relief work in Assam. Minister of State for Development of
North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh announced this after holding a high-level meeting in
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Guwahati with the State Government to assess the current situation of flood and the relief measures
undertaken so far.
Bihar
Capital – Patna; CM – Nitish Kumar; Governor – Satya Pal Malik
Bihar CM inaugurates, lays foundation stones for schemes worth Rs 875 crore
 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has inaugurated and laid foundation stones for more than 100 schemes,
worth Rs 875 crore, of the state bridge construction corporation.
 On the occasion of the 43rd establishment day of the Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Ltd, 122 schemes
have been inaugurated or their foundation stones laid down.
Chhattisgarh
Capital – Raipur; CM – Raman Singh; Governor – Balram Das Tandon
Integrated Command And Control Centre Of Naya Raipur Smart City Inaugurated
 The Integrated Command and Control Centre of the Naya Raipur Smart City was inaugurated by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi. Integrated Command & Control Centre of Naya Raipurbecomes the 10th Smart
City Centre to be operational in the country.
Gujarat
Capital: Gandhinagar; CM: Vijay Rupani; Governor: Om Prakash Kohli
1st International Centre for Humanitarian Forensics launched in Gandhinagar
 The world’s first of its kind and state-of-the-art, International Centre for Humanitarian Forensics has been
launched in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
 The centre is joint venture of Regional delegation of International Committee of Red Cross (ICCR) in
India, Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives and also Gujarat Forensic Science University.
Gujarat Launches Wind-Solar Hybrid Power Policy
 The Gujarat government announced wind-solar hybrid power policy - 2018, aiming to make optimum
utilization of the land and grid. The policy, which will have a coverage period of five years, provides
encouragement to renewable power producers supplying to the grid as well as to those having captive use.
Gujarat CM launches Suryashakti Kisan Yojana (SKY)
 Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani launched the Rs 870-crore pilot project of Suryashakti Kisan Yojana
(SKY). Under the Yojana, farmers can generate electricity using solar energy and sell the surplus to the
electric grid. As per the new scheme, a farmer signing up for it will have to spend only 5 % amount of the
total expenditure for installing the solar project (including solar panels and inverters).
Gujarat CM announces agriculture JWG with Israel
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Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani met Israel's Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Uri Ariel on the second
day of his visit to Israel. He announced a Joint Working Group (JWG) between Gujarat and Israel in the
fields of agriculture, horticulture, and allied sectors.
Hariyana
Capital – Chandigarh; CM - Manohar Lal Khattar; Governor - Kaptan Singh Solanki
Foundation laid for India’s First Advanced Forensic Lab in Chandigarh
 Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi laid foundation of Sakhi
Suraksha Advanced DNA Forensic Laboratory in the campus of Central Forensic Science Lab, Chandigarh.
Girl students to get sanitary napkins at Re 1 in Haryana:
 Girl students of government schools in Haryana will get sanitary napkins at just Rs. 1 starting August.
Women belonging to Below Poverty Line families too will be covered under the scheme.
Haryana govt raises age limit for entry in govt service:
 The Haryana government has raised the upper age limit for entry into government service from 40 to 42
years. He said that all departments have been told to incorporate the new provisions.
Haryana government introduced a scheme to give school kids 50 rupees for planting trees:
 The Haryana government has decided to introduce a scheme under which school children will be given
Rs50 for planting trees every six months for a period of three years. The scheme will cover students from
Classes 6 to 12 of both government and private schools. It will be launched on July 10.
Haryana has become the first state in India to give star ranking to its villages
 A total of 1,120 villages of Haryana have achieved star ranking under '7-Star Gram Panchayat Rainbow
Scheme' launched in January 2018 by Chief Minister Manohar Lal.
Haryana CM announces to set up ‘Yog Aayog’ in state
 On the occasion of the 4th International Day of Yoga, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has
announced to set up a ‘Yog Aayog’ in the state. The ‘Yog Aayog’ will promote yoga in the state. Practising
yoga leads to physical, mental and spiritual development and is helpful in all round development of one’s
personality.
Haryana makes use of LED bulbs mandatory in govt offices by 15 Aug
 As per directions of the Haryana's Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, all halogen, sodium bulbs and tube
lights will be replaced with energy-efficient LED bulbs and tube lights. The use of incandescent lamps and
purchase of sodium vapour lamps by government sector, government aided sector, boards and
corporations and autonomous bodies have already been banned.
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Haryana village 1st to pass No Toilet, No Bride resolution:
 Haryana's Godikan village panchayat has passed a 'No Toilet, No Bride' resolution, becoming the first
panchayat in the country to do so. According to the resolution, girls from Godikan will not be married off
in houses without a toilet.
Himachal Pradesh
Capital – Shimla; CM – Jai Ram Thakur; Governor - Acharya Dev Vrat
Union Government approves tourism projects worth 1,800 crore rupees for Himachal Pradesh
 For the development of tourism in Himachal Pradesh, the Centre has approved projects worth Rs1,800
crore. This comes after tourism was affected in Shimla over severe water scarcity in May. Himachal
Pradesh Chief Minister - Jai Ram Thakur.
Jammu & Kashmir
Capital – Jammu (Winter) Srinagar (Summer); CM - Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed; Governor -

Narinder Nath Vohra
Centre sanctions Rs 14.30 crore for Block level sports in J&K
 Centre has sanctioned 14.30 crore rupees for Block level sports in Jammu and Kashmir under the ‘Khelo
India’ scheme. An amount of 10 lakh rupees per Block will be spent in all the 143 Blocks of the state.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti resigned:
 Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti resigned after the BJP announced that it was pulling
out of the alliance with her Peoples Democratic Party that has ruled the State since March 2015.
22nd Sindhu Darshan Festival (SDF) started in J&K
 The 22nd edition of Sindhu Darshan Festival (SDF) started on the bank of Indus River in Leh district of
Ladakh region, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
Maharashtra
Capital – Mumbai; CM – Devendra Fadnavis; Governor – Vidyasagar Rao
Tata Motors signed MoU With Maharashtra To Promote E-Mobility
 Tata Motors (India's largest automobile company by revenues) signed a MoU with the State Government
of Maharashtra for deployment of 1000 Electric Vehicles (EV) across its range of passenger and
commercial vehicles in the State.
Maharashtra Inks MoU with Canada’s Quebec Province for Greater Economic Co-operation:
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 The Maharashtra government and Canada’s Quebec province have signed a pact to increase the economic
cooperation, especially in areas of information technology, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and welfare
of the tribal community.
Maharashtra CM Meets World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva
 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva in Washington
DC to seek assistance for a Multimodal Transport Corridor and the Rural Livelihood Project which aims to
provide sustainable livelihood enhancements in 10,000 villages in the state.
Maharashtra Government Forms Study Committee For Floating Solar Power Plant:
 The Maharashtra government has set up a committee to study issues related to the development of a
1,000-MW floating solar power plant at Ujani dam in Solapur district. The committee will be headed by
the Director (Commercial) of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL), Satish
Chavan.
Madhya Pradesh
Capital – Bhopal; CM - Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor – Om PrakashKohli
U.P. & M.P. likely to start cash transfer for food subsidies:
 Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are likely to be the next States to start implementing cash transfer for
food subsidies in certain areas, but Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan emphasized that banking systems and
infrastructure must be in place before any such scheme can begin.
Mohanpura Irrigation Project launched in Madhya Pradesh:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Mohanpura Irrigation Project in Rajgarh district in
Madhya Pradesh. The total outlay of the project is Rs 3,866-crore. It includes a dam and a canal system.
The project will facilitate irrigation of agricultural land in Rajgarh district. It will also provide drinking
water to villages in the area.
Madhya Pradesh to be awarded for reducing maternal mortality
Madhya Pradesh will be awarded for reducing maternal mortality under Prime Minister's Safe Motherhood
Campaign. The award ceremony will be held in New Delhi today.
New Delhi
Capital – New Delhi ; CM - Arvind Kejriwal; Governor – Anil Bijal
NMCG undertakes cleanliness drive at Kalindi Kunj Ghat in Delhi:
 In the run up to the World Environment Day 2018, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in
association with Yes Bank organised a cleanliness drive at Kalindi Kunj ghat on river Yamuna in New
Delhi.
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India to have its 1st police museum in Delhi
 India will soon have its first national police museum as the central government has decided to establish the
unique facility in Lutyens' Delhi.
National Tribal Museum proposed to be set up at Delhi-Shri Jual Oram:
 A National Tribal Museum and a National Level Tribal Research Institute is proposed to be set
up at Delhi by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
‘Delhi Metro network set to become 5th largest in world’:
 The over 11-km Mundka-Bahadurgarh section of Delhi Metro’s Green Line, connecting the capital to
Haryana, was on Sunday inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Orissa
Capital – Bhubaneswar; CM – Naveen Patnaik; Governor –Prof Ganeshi Lal
Odisha starts health insurance scheme for journalists
 Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday launched "Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima
Yojana" for working journalists. The health insurance scheme for working journalists will be implemented
with effect from June 1, 2018.
Orissa announces free of cost medical services at government clinics:
 Each and everyone visiting any government health institution from district to sub-centre level in Odisha
will be provided all health services free of cost. Further, under the Biju Swasthya Kalyana Yojana,
secondary and tertiary cashless healthcare assistance will be provided up to Rs. 5 lakh per family per
annum.
Panel for better temple management for Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri:
 In pursuance of last week’s Supreme Court order, the Odisha government has constituted a three-member
committee to study the management schemes of important shrines across the country as well as suggest
necessary changes for Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.
Free Braille textbooks for Class IX, X students in Odisha
 From the current academic session, all visually impaired students of Class IX and X in Odisha will be
provided free Braille textbooks.
 Earlier, the Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority was providing free Braille textbooks to all
visually impaired students studying in Class I to VIII in government-managed schools. From this year, this
measure has been extended to Class IX and X students as well.
Odisha CM increased the health cover under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana:
 Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced that insurance coverage for women under the BJD’s
health insurance proposal has been raised to Rs 7 lakh from Rs 5 lakh. He accepted a proposal by a
Malkangiri woman while holding a session of Ama Gaon Ama Bikas - a direct fund disbursement
programme for development activities.
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Punjab
Capital – Chandigarh; CM – Amarinder Singh; Governor – V. P. Singh Badnore
Punjab’s new industrial policy expected by July 1
 Punjab’s new industrial policy, along with operational guidelines, is expected to become fully functional by
July 1.
Punjab govt launches Business First Portal
 Punjab Govt has launched a “Business First Portal” to give a big push towards the ease of doing business in
the state. The portal was unveiled by Industry Minister Sunder Sham Arora.The online portal will facilitate
the industrialists for Regulatory Clearances and Fiscal Approvals , real time tracking of applications at
common platform.
Punjab offers saplings through mobile app
 To increase the State’s green cover, the Punjab government on Tuesday launched a smartphone application
that lets users order free plant saplings, officials said. The ‘i-Hariyali’ app under ‘Mission Tandarust’ can be
downloaded from the app store for free
Rajasthan
Capital – Jaipur; CM – Vasundhara Raje Scindia; Governor - Kalyan Singh
Rajasthan raises minimum wages:
 The minimum wages have been increased by Rs.6 a day in Rajasthan following a proposal to revise the
surcharge imposed on stamp duty, which is spent on welfare and protection of cows.
 The wages of unskilled labourers have been increased from Rs.207 to Rs.213 a day. The enhanced daily
wages will be Rs.223 for semi-skilled labourers, Rs.233 for skilled labourers and Rs.283 for highly skilled
labourers. The increased wages will come into effect retrospectively from January 1, 2018.
Biogas plants to be set up at cow shelters in Rajasthan
 Biogas plants with the capacity of over 100 cubic metres will be set up shortly at 25 gaushalas in Rajasthan
with 50% subsidy on investment costs paid by the State government's Gopalan Department. Rajasthan will
be the first State to produce manure from biogas plants at the cow shelters.
Rajasthan seeks national project status for eastern canal
 Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has requested the Centre to give special financial assistance to
the State to help it tide over the acute water crisis and sought the national project status for the proposed
Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project, which will supply drinking and irrigation water to 13 districts.
Vasundhara Raje conferred with ‘Chief Minister of the Year’ award
 Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has been conferred with the ‘Chief Minister of the Year’ award
for her remarkable work in e-governance.
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Kaiga Generating Systems Sets New Record Of Continuous Operation
 The 220 MW Unit-1 of Karnataka's Kaiga Generating Systems (KGS-1) set a new record of the continuous
operation of 766 days, surpassing the earlier record of 765 days set by the Unit-5 of Rajasthan Atomic
Power Station (RAPS-5) in 2014.
NITI Aayog has ranked Rajasthan at No.1 state in water conversation
 NITI Aayog has ranked Rajasthan at first place among states in water conversation as it registered a
significant increase in the level of groundwater. This achievement is due to water conservation structures
built under Chief Minister's Jal Swawlamban Abhiyaan programme.
Kota set Guinness World Record for largest number of people performing yoga
 The Guinness World Record (GWR) for largest number of people performing yoga at one place at the same
time has been set up in Kota, Rajasthan in the 4th edition of International Yoga Day (IYD-2018).
Sikkim
Capital – Gangtak; CM – Pawan Kumar Chamling; Governor – Shriniwas Patil.
Sikkim govt announces A.R. Rahman as its Brand Ambassador:
 Renowned music composer A.R. Rahman has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador of the Sikkim
government. Mr. Rahman will promote and protect the state’s achievements nationally and globally.
Tamilnadu
Capital – Chennai; CM – Edapadi Palanisamy; Governor – Banwarilal probhit.
TN to ban manufacture, use of most plastic products from Jan 1:
 The Tamil Nadu government announced its decision to ban manufacture and use of several plastic
products in the state from January 1, 2019.
ITC To Unveil Integrated Food Unit In Tamil Nadu Soon:
 The Hindu ITC may unveil the first phase of its integrated food manufacturing and logistics facility at
Pudukottai in Tamil Nadu by the second quarter of 2018-19. Products such as biscuits, atta, and noodles
would be manufactured at this plant.
AIIMS to set up in Madurai
 Tamil Nadu govt said the much-anticipated All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) facility
announced for the state by the Centre will come up near Madurai at an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore.
Adani ports to pay Rs.1,950 cr for acquiring kattupalli port
 Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) have joined hands to transform Kattupalli Port into a
multi-commodity port to handle containers automobiles, break-bulk, general, liquid and project cargo. Of
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the total amount, Adani will be paying 97%, that is, Rs.1,950 crore and the balance 3% will be held by
Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Government.
Telangana
Capital – Hyderabad; CM – K. Chandrashekar Rao; Governor – ESL Narasimhan
Telangana Police launches app
 Telangana Police launched a mobile application, COP CONNECT to support the professional
communication and collaboration needs of entire police department of the state.
 It has been developed based on Telangana State Police internal Communication strategy on lines of
popular internet messaging application WhatsApp.
Tripura
Capital –Agatala; CM – Biplab Kumar Deb; Governor - Tathagata Roy
President Declares ‘Queen Pineapple’ as State Fruit of Tripura
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind formally declared the “Queen Pineapple” as the state fruit of
Tripura.
Tripura starts 24x7 mobile policing service:
 The Tripura government on has launched the GPS (Global Positioning System) and wireless-based 24x7
mobile policing service to curb crime, especially against women. Launching it, Chief Minister Biplab
Kumar Deb said the BJP-led alliance government’s main thrust was to make Tripura a crime and drug-free
State.
Uttar Pradesh
Capital – Lucknow; CM – Yogi Adityanath; Governor – Ram Naik
NDMA Conducts Mock Exercise in Uttar Pradesh on Flood Preparedness
 The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) conducted a mock exercise on flood
preparedness in Uttar Pradesh in a move to improve flood preparedness ahead of the monsoon
season. The exercise was held in collaboration with State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)
U.P. govt.’s ‘special exemption’ to Patanjali:
 The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday gave its nod to yoga guru-turned-entrepreneur Baba Ramdev's
company to transfer land to its subsidiary for setting up a multi-crore mega food park in Noida.
 The Patanjali Food and Herbal Park would avail the special exemption of 'sublease facility' of land and a
discount of 25% in the existing rate of land allotment.
PM to inaugurate ‘Kabir Mahotsav’ in U.P.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the two-day ‘Kabir Mahotsav’, organised by the Union Ministry
of Culture, at Maghar in Uttar Pradesh’s Sant Kabir Nagar district on Thursday to mark the 500th death
anniversary of mystic poet and saint Kabir Das.
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Uttarakhand
Capital – Dehradun, Nainital (Judiciary); CM – Trivendra Singh Rawat; Governor - Krishna

Kant Paul
Uttarakhand High Court has banned water sports in the state:
The Uttarakhand high court has banned paragliding, and white water rafting and other water sports until
the government frames a policy to regulate them. It also expressed concern over environmental damages,
remarking that the state is not maintaining the sanctity of river Ganga.
Karnataka
Capital – Bengaluru; CM – Kumarasamy; Governor - Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala
Threat to Bannerghatta buffer zone
 At least 73 eco-sensitive villages, of which 22 are ‘red list’ villages, have been left out of the buffer zone of
the Bannerghatta National Park, which remains Bangalore’s last big, urban forest. ‘Red list’ comprises
villages that are adjacent to the forest and are highly eco-sensitive.
HRD nod to inter-university yoga centre in S-VYASA varsity:
 The Ministry of Human Resource Development has approved setting up an inter-university yoga centre
at Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana in Bengaluru. The announcement was made
by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on the fourth International Yoga Day.
Bengaluru world's 2nd best location to launch tech startups
 Bengaluru has claimed the second spot in the list of best locations for launching tech startups, according to
research firm SmallBusinessPrices.co.uk. The first place was secured by Boulder city in the US while the
third best location was Johannesburg in South Africa. The research measured the average internet speed,
the average business valuation, and cost of living, among other metrics.
Kerala
Capital – Tiruvanandapuram; CM – Pinarai Vijayan; Governor – P. Sadasivam
KSRTC monthly collection hits record Rs 207.35 crore.
 KSRTC has set a new record in its monthly collection even amidst crisis. For the first time, the transport
corporation’s monthly earnings crossed Rs 200 crore riding on efficient service delivery.
Smriti launches ‘Sampark for Samarthan’ Kerala:
 Union minister Smriti Irani called on MK Sanoo, a prominent literary figure in Kerala, at his residence as
part of the ruling BJP's programme to apprise prominent citizens of the achievements of Narendra Modi-
led government at the Centre, in the last four years.
Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority initiated a ‘water literacy’ campaign
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 The Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority initiated a ‘water literacy’ campaign with the involvement of
70,000 students aiming to create awareness about the importance of water conservation in the State.
West Bengal
Capital – Kolkata; CM – Mamta Benerjee; Governor - Keshari Nath Tripath
West Bengal State Pollution Control Board calls for ban on single-use plastics:
 The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) on Monday gave a call for shunning single-use plastics
which triggers natural disasters such as flood and pollute the environment.
West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi to Hold Additional Charge of Tripura:
 Keshari Nath Tripathi, Governor of West Bengal given the additional charge of Tripura Governor, during
the absence on leave of Tathagata Roy, Governor of Tripura.
West Bengal Govt Decides To Invest Rs 107 Cr To Check Riverbank Erosion:
 The West Bengal Government has decided to invest 107 crore rupees to check erosion at vulnerable areas
along the banks of the Ganga and the Padma. A stretch of 15 kilometreswill be concretised, to prevent
erosion. The work will be completed by March next year.
Fishermen oppose CRZ draft:
 An organisation of fishermen in West Bengal has written to the Central government to scrap the draft
Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2018, alleging that it would have adverse effects on their
livelihood.
 Based on the representations received from various Coastal States and Union Territories and other stake
holders including recommendations made by the Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. Shailesh
Nayak, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change hereby issues the Draft Coastal
Regulation Zone Notification. 2018 for seeking comments /suggestions from all concerned.
Visva-Bharati University to set up yoga village:
 Visva-Bharati University (VBU), Birbhum, West Bengal founded by Rabindranath Tagore, will set up a
yoga centre inside the campus, named yoga gram (village). The centre is aimed at increasing awareness
about yoga.
Other National News
Nirmala Sitharaman Inaugurated 1st IAF Commanders Conference
 The First biannual Indian Air Force Commanders’ Conference was inaugurated by Defence Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman at Air Headquarters in New Delhi. Minister of State for Defence Dr Subhash
Bhamre, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa were among those who were present at the conference.
1.5 lakh affordable houses sanctioned for urban poor under PMAY(urban)
 Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has approved the construction of another 1.5 lakh affordable houses
for the benefit of urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) with an investment of Rs.7,227cr
with central assistance of Rs.2,209 cr.
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IMD launches new system to improve weather forecasts
 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched a new Ensemble Prediction Systems (EPS) to
provide probabilistic weather forecasts up to the next 10 days. According to IMD, these new systems shall
improve upon deterministic forecasts that are prone to high margins of error.
Farmers in at least seven States began a ten-day strike or ‘Gaon bandh’:
 Farmers in at least seven States began a ten-day strike or ‘Gaon bandh’ on Friday, dumping crates of
vegetables and thousands of liters of milk on the roads to draw attention to the agrarian crisis and demand
an assured minimum income, higher support prices and a complete loan waiver.
 The impact of the strike was immediately felt in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Maharashtra and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, according to strike leaders.
No return to ballot papers: CEC Rawat
 Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat on Saturday ruled out bringing back ballot papers in elections
and said the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) was being made a “scapegoat” as “it cannot speak.” Political
parties needed to blame someone or something for their defeat.
IISc Bangalore back in world top university list
 Bangalore’s Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has made it to the list of top 100 in the World Reputation
Rankings 2018. Ranked at 91, Indian Institute of Science is the only Indian University to have made it to
the prestigious list.
Asia's 1st 13 'Blue Flag' Beaches To Be Developed In India
 Environment-friendly, clean and equipped with amenities of international standards for tourists, 13 Indian
beaches will soon get the Blue Flag certification. These beaches of Odisha, Maharashtra and other coastal
states will be the first in not just India, but in Asia, to get the Blue Flag certification.
NTPC adopts Charminar under Swachh Iconic Places Project
 NTPC Ltd has adopted the iconic Charminar in Hyderabad under the Swachh Iconic Places Projects of
India.NTPC Ltd and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation have signed a memorandum of
understanding for implementation of development and beautification works under the Charminar
Pedestrianization Project in Hyderabad.
PM Modi Unveils Plaque At Singapore's Clifford Pier Paying Tribute to Mahatma Gandhi:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Singapore's former premier Goh Chok Tong jointly unveiled a plaque
to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at the immersion site of his ashes at the waterfront Clifford pier.
Govt ensuring every Indian has a home by 2022: PM
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the NDA government is working towards ensuring that every Indian
has a home by 2022, when India marks 75 years since Independence.
Government announces Rs.8,000-crore package for sugarcane farmers

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 The Centre has announced a comprehensive package of more than Rs.8,000 crore to provide relief to
sugarcane farmers and to clear their dues, which have crossed over Rs.22,000 crore. The interventions
include increase in custom duty on import of sugar, removal of custom duty on export of sugar, and the
creation of buffer stock at the cost of Rs.1,200 crore.
Cabinet approves revised guidelines for time-bound closure of sick PSUs
 Union Cabinet has approved the revised guidelines of the Department of Public Enterprises on time bound
closure of sick and loss making Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and disposal of movable and
immovable assets. The revised guidelines will reduce delays in implementation of closure plans of sick and
loss making CPSEs.
Centre constitutes group to suggest changes in SEZ policy
 The Centre has constituted a group of eminent persons to study the Special Economic Zones, SEZ Policy of
India. The group will be headed by Industrialist Baba Kalyani. The group will evaluate the SEZ policy,
suggest measures to cater to the needs of exporters in the present economic scenario and make the SEZ
policy WTO compatible. The Group has to submit its recommendation in three months.
Center extends timeline of Dam Rehabilitation & Improvement Project
 Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) has revised cost and deadline of World Bank funded Dam
Rehabilitation & Improvement Project (DRIP) to Rs.3466 Crore till Jun 2020.
India’s first indigenous Lithium Ion Battery project
 The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) lab has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA)
with RAASI Solar Power Pvt Ltd for transfer of technology for India’s first Lithium Ion (Li-ion) Battery
project. It was signed by CSIR’s Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CECRI), Karaikudi, Tamil
Nadu
WHO commends India for reducing MMR by 77%
 The World Health Organisation (WHO) commended India’s progress in reducing maternal mortality ratio
(MMR) by 77%, from 556 per 10000 live births in 1990 to 130 per 10000 live births in 2016. This progress
puts India on track towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of MMR below 70 by
2030.
IRCTC inks MoU with CSC for delivery of rail tickets
 Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has signed an MoU with the Common Service
Centres (CSCs) Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for delivery of railway services through CSC centres.
10 New Swachh Iconic Places Launched Under Swachh Bharat Mission
 Ten new iconic sites have been taken up under Phase III of the flagship project Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) of
the Swachh Bharat Mission. The project envisioned by the Prime Minister is being coordinated by Ministry
of Drinking Water and Sanitation with the support of State governments and local administration.
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10 New Iconic Sites are as follows:
1. Raghavendra Swamy Temple (Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh);
2. Hazardwari Palace (Murshidabad, West Bengal);
3. Brahma Sarovar Temple (Kurukshetra, Haryana);
4. VidurKuti (Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh);
5. Mana village (Chamoli, Uttarakhand);
6. Pangong Lake (Leh-Ladakh, J&K);
7. Nagvasuki Temple (Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh);
8. ImaKeithal/market (Imphal, Manipur);
9. Sabarimala Temple (Kerala); and
10. Kanvashram (Uttarakhand).
3,000 Additional Atal Tinkering Labs Announced:
 NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has selected 3,000 additional schools for the establishment
of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), bringing the total number of ATL schools to5,441. The selected schools shall
receive a grant of Rs 20 lakh spread over the next fiveyears to establish Atal Tinkering Labs for nurturing
innovation and entrepreneurial spirit among secondary school children across India.
Govt sets up T.C.A. Anant panel to bring transparency in jobs data:
 he union government has set up a committee headed by former chief statistician of India T.C.A. Anant to
bring in transparency in the jobs data calculation and presentation.
 Labour bureau conducts two major surveys on employment scenario—Annual Employment-
Unemployment Survey and Quarterly Employment Survey. The Annual Employment Unemployment
Survey was later replaced by Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) being conducted by ministry of
statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI).
The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal for introduction of the Dam Safety Bill:
 The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a proposal for introduction of
the Dam Safety Bill, 2018 in Parliament.
Cabinet approves proposal for withdrawal of Nalanda University (Amendment) Bill, 2013
 The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for
withdrawal of Nalanda University (Amendment) Bill, 2013 pending in the Rajya Sabha.
 The present proposal is for moving a motion in Rajya Sabha withdrawing the Nalanda University
(Amendment) Bill, 2013 introduced in Rajya Sabha on August 26, 2013 to amend certain existing
provisions of the Nalanda University Act, 2010 and add some new provisions.
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New norms for college teachers recruitment and promotions:
 The University Grants Commission (UGC) has brought out a new set of regulations to alter the conditions
for recruitment and promotion of college and university teachers, so as to make universities more focussed
on research and colleges on the teaching-learning process.
 However, this won’t be mandatory, for they can earn grades for other activities too — like social work,
helping in adoption of a village, helping students in extra-curricular activities, contributing teaching
material to Swayam, the MOOCS platform for online material.
Indian Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) scientists discover new planet
 Scientists from Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad discovered distant planet revolving around
Sun-like star for first time. Both the planet and the star have been named EPIC. With this discovery India
joins handful of countries which have discovered planets around stars.
 EPIC planet has been named as EPIC 211945201b (or K2-236b) and host star has been named EPIC
211945201 (or K2-236).It is six times bigger than Earth and revolves around host about 600 light years
away.
Govt extends sale of pre-GST goods with stickers of revised price till July 31:
 Sale of pre-Goods and Service Tax packaged goods has now been allowed with stickers of revised rates till
July 31.
 The Consumer Affairs Ministry said the deadline has been extended on request made by manufacturers,
packers and importers. The details such as ‘country of origin’ should be mandatorily declared along with
other declarations, including ‘best before use’ or ‘use by date or expiry date’.
Extends tenure of Commission constituted to examine issue of OBC sub-categorisation
 The Union Cabinet gave final extension to commission constituted to examine sub-categorisation within
Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Central list. The commission earlier had term till Jun 20, 2018 but with
extension it will now work till Jul 31, 2018.
 The Commission, headed by Justice (Retd.) G. Rohini, was constituted with approval of President under
Article 340 of Constitution in Oct, 2017.
Paper setters to receive training
 The National Testing Agency, which is being set up to relieve the Central Board of Secondary Education
(CBSE) of the burden of conducting multiple examinations, will also train paper setters to set better
question papers and provide better model answers.
PM Modi to interact with farmers through NaMo App tomorrow morning
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with farmers on June 20, 9:30 AM. Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh said Mr Modi will have a direct dialogue with farmers across the
country, in which various initiatives related to doubling the income of farmers by 2022 will also be
discussed.
India’s first river interlinking project caught in U.P.-M.P. tussle:
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 Disagreements over water-sharing and difficulty in acquiring non-forest land impede the Rs18,000-crore
Ken Betwa river interlink project.
 The project, which involves deforesting a portion of the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, was
accorded clearance by the National Wildlife Board on the condition that the land lost would be made good
by acquiring contiguous, revenue land.
Centre has finally announced the 100th and the last city which will be part of the project: Shillong
 As the Smart Cities Mission enters its fourth year, the Centre has finally announced the 100th and the last
city which will be part of the project: Shillong.This announcement also sets the end date for the mission as
June 2023.
Railways to become Net Zero Carbon emitter by 2030:
 Indian Railways will become a “net zero” carbon emitter by 2030, with the current action plans on anvil for
100 per cent electrification, coupled with renewable strategies. This has been announced by Railways
Minister Piyush Goyal while addressing the Rail Contact 2018 conference organised by Confederation of
Indian Industry (CII).
PM Modi Laid Foundation Stone Of Paperless Vanijya Bhawan
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Paperless Vanijya Bhawan in New Delhi. Once
ready, the new building will house Department of Commerce. The building will accommodate about 1000
officers and staff.
CEMS Sets Up First-Of-Its-Kind Labs In Mumbai And Vizag
 The Centre of Excellence in Maritime & Shipbuilding (CEMS), a well-funded start-up in skill development
for maritime and shipbuilding sector, has announced setting up of 24 labs -6 in Mumbai and 18 in Vizag
campus. The announcement was made in the first seminar on Competencies, Employability, Methodology
and Skills organized by CEMS in Mumbai.
Government to make 24 degrees celsius as default setting for AC
 The Union Ministry of Power has considered a proposal in making 24 degrees celsius as mandatory default
setting and labeling of air conditioners within few months. It has been planned after six months campaign
launched to promote energy efficiency in the area of air-conditioning.
Southern Railways imposes penalty of Rs.2,000 for taking selfie in front of train
 Southern Railways will impose a fine of Rs.2,000 on passengers who take a selfie in front of trains at
railway stations or while standing on the footboard. People found repeating the offence will be imprisoned
for six months. The initiative aims to cut down on selfie-related train mishaps which have grown recently.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj launched the mPassport Seva mobile application:
 To help deliver passports to applicants at their residence, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
launched the "mPassport Seva" mobile application on the occasion of 'Passport Seva Divas'. She also
scrapped the marriage certificate’s compulsion, required for obtaining passports. In total, there are 260
working passport centres, which will be expanded to all Lok Sabha constituencies in the near future.
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Committee for Standardization and Indigenization in Metro Rail Systems:
 A committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Sh. E. Sreedharan for Standardization and
Indigenization in Metro Rail. The committee is expected to submit its report in 3 months.
 After 3 months, based on specific task of standardization, Dr. Sreedharan could co-opt the relevant expert
members for the task for a specified period of time.
OIL India has made its second hydrocarbons discovery in KG basin:
 Oil India Limited (OIL) discovered second hydrocarbons in the onland KG Basin NELP VI Block KG-ONN-
2004/1. The first high pressure-high temperature (HP-HT) well was built at Thanelanka-1 by OIL. On
testing, the HP-HT zone in the depth range 4,912 – 5,159m in Golapalli Formation produced gas at 300
scmd through 16/64” bean choke. In 2017-2018, OIL India produced 3.3- metric million tonnes (MMT) of
crude oil and 2.93 billion cubic meters (BCM) of gas.
Finance Ministry approves Metro Rail projects in 5 cities of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh:
 The Union Finance Ministry has given "in-principle" approval to proposed Metro Rail projects in Indore,
Bhopal, Kanpur, Agra, and Delhi. The estimated cost of the projects is Rs.1.07 lakh crore. Besides the five
metro projects, the Rs 32,000 crore Delhi-Meerut corridor of the proposed Rapid Rail Transit System also
got the in-principle nod from the finance ministry.
EC asks Facebook to block political ads 48 hours before polls:
 The Election Commission of India (EC) has requested Facebook to block political advertisements during
the last 48 hours before elections.
Ayush Ministry to introduce Ayurvedic medicine as subject for Sanskrit students
 Ayush Ministry is in the process of introducing Ayurvedic medicine as a subject for Sanskrit students.
 Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha said, this will help in identifying the medicines and ayurvedic
practices from the Sanskrit scriptures that are unexplored
NITI Aayog releases first Delta ranking
 NITI Aayog today launched the first Delta ranking, incremental progress, for the Aspirational Districts in
the country.
 The ranking is based on self-reported data of districts between March 31 to May 31, 2018, across five
developmental areas of Health and Nutrition, Education, Agriculture and Water Resources, Financial
Inclusion and Skill Development and Basic Infrastructure. According to ranking, Dahod district of Gujarat
improved 19.8 points to rank first.
NITI Aayog partners with GNFC Ltd to implement Fertilizer Subsidy Disbursement through
Blockchain Technology
 NITI Aayog and Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GNFC) have signed a Statement
of Intent (SOI) to work together towards implementing a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) application using
Blockchain Technology for fertilizer subsidy management.
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Oxytocin formulations ban come into effect from 1st July 2018
 The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has restricted the manufacture of Oxytocin formulations for
domestic use to public sector only from 1st July 2018.
IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL NEWS
US Pacific Command Renamed As Indo-Pacific Command
 The United States has renamed its oldest and largest military command, US Pacific Command, or PACOM,
to Indo-Pacific Command, according to the US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis.
Denmark bans Burqa in public spaces:
 The Danish Parliament has passed a law banning the Islamic full-face veil in public spaces, becoming the
latest European country to do so.
Orchid named after Narendra Modi in Singapore
 “Dendrobrium Narendra Modi - an orchid named after PM @NarendraModi on the occasion of his visit to
the National Orchid Garden in Singapore,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar
tweeted.
Former Chief Justice Mulk becomes Pak. interim PM:
 A former Pakistani Chief Justice Mulk was sworn in on Friday as the caretaker Prime Minister for an
interim period of two months, hours after Pakistan’s President dissolved the powerful Lower House of
Parliament.
Giuseppe Conte (above right) was sworn in as Italy's 58th prime minister:
 Giuseppe Conte is a 53-year-old jurist who has never been elected to parliament was sworn in as Italy's
58th prime minister. Populist leaders Salvini and Di Maio will be joint deputy prime ministers.
Pedro Sanchez was sworn as new PM of Spain
 Spain's Parliament ousted Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence vote sparked by fury over his
party’s corruption woes, with his Socialist arch-rival Pedro Sanchez automatically taking over.
Arctic seas are the planet’s cleanest
 According to Murmansk Marine Biology Institute , the Arctic’s seas are the cleanest seas on the planet. In
2017, the Institute’s scientists organized several big expeditions to the Arctic. The institute’s experts
worked in the Barents, Norwegian and Greenland Seas.
Biopic ‘Making of the Mahatma’ screened in Pietermaritzburg
 The screening of the biopic ‘Making of the Mahatma’ in Pietermaritzburg on Jun 06 marked the opening of
a three-day series of events to commemorate the historic incident 125 years ago when Mahatma Gandhi
was evicted from a train because the compartment he was in was reserved for whites only.
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Indonesia wins UNSC as a non-permanent member vote
 The Maldives failed to get elected to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member. Maldives and
Indonesia had contested for a seat in the UNSC, but in the plenary session of Friday held at the UN
headquarters in New York, Indonesia won the seat after securing 144 votes against 46 for the Maldives.
Fuego volcano erupts
 The Fuego volcano, in Guatemala, has recently erupted violently and buried several villages on its southern
flank It is an active stratovolcano. The death toll has risen to 99 in the Fuego volcano eruption.
India Is The Second Highest Sender Of Foreign Students In US:
 With 1,86,000 Indian students currently studying in the United States, India is the second highest sender
of foreign students to the US, next only to China. US consul general in Kolkata, Craig Hall, stated that the
United States is the top destination for foreign students worldwide and the number of Indian students in
the US has more than doubled in the last 10 years.
Venezuela Supreme Court rejects challenge to Maduro re-election:
 Venezuela's highest court refused to consider a lawsuit challenging President Nicolas Maduro's re-election
victory. The elections chamber of the Supreme Court announced its decision on Twitter, and did not give
the reasoning behind it.
Pakisthan Taliban head ‘Mullah Radio’ killed in U.S.-led strike
 Pakistani Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah has been killed in a U.S.-Afghan air strike in
Afghanistan, a senior Afghan Defence Ministry official said on Friday, a killing likely to ease
tension between the United States and Pakistan.
WHO recommends quadrivalent influenza vaccine:
 Sanofi Pasteur’s injectable influenza vaccine (FluQuadri) containing two A virus strains H1N1
and H3N2 and two B virus strains Victoria and Yamagata for active immunisation of adults of age
18 to 64 years was approved in May last year by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).
Japan adopts economic plan to allow more foreign workers
 The cabinet of Japan has adopted an economic plan that will allow more foreign workers to work
in the country. It will help rapidly aging country to make up for its declining workforce. In recent
times, number of foreign workers in Japan has nearly doubled to 1.28 million.
World Bank Approves $700 Mn To Improve Primary Education In Bangladesh
 The World Bank has approved $700 million to help Bangladesh achieve its education for all vision
by improving the primary education sector.
Arab group wants India on board in Yemen:
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 UAE envoy says New Delhi can help by extending diplomatic support to the Hodeidah operation
on international platforms. The Arab coalition which is fighting to secure the strategic Yemeni
port of Hodeidah will be reaching out to India for its support.
US Withdraws From UN Human Rights Council
Nikki Haley, the US Permanent Representative to the United Nations announced the withdrawal
of the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), accusing the
council of bias against US ally Israel.
Hungary's 'Stop Soros' law makes it illegal to help migrants
 Migrant and refugee organizations in Hungary are facing an uncertain future after the country's
parliament passed legislation Wednesday that criminalizes helping undocumented immigrants,
including asylum seekers.
Algeria shuts down internet nationwide to prevent cheating during high school exams
 Algeria shut down all internet connections nationwide for two hours in order to prevent students
from cheating during two high school diploma exams. This comes after widespread cheating in
2016, where questions were leaked on social media before the start of the exam.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos became the Richest Person in the World
 Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has become the richest man in the world with a net wealth of
USD 141.9 billion, as per the Forbes World's Billionaires list. Bill Gates, the principal founder of
Microsoft Corporation, is the second-richest man in the world with USD 92.9 billion. Warren
Buffet ranked third place with a total of wealth of USD 82.2 billion.
India notifies higher tariffs on U.S. imports
 India has notified higher tariffs on several items imported from the U.S., including agricultural
products such as apples, almonds, chickpeas, lentils, and walnuts, and industrial inputs such as
some grades of iron and steel products, the latest salvo in the ongoing tariff tiff between the U.S.
and several of its trading partners.
India cuts export quotas for Maldives
 India has lowered the limits on the export of certain essential commodities such as potatoes,
onions, and eggs to the Maldives, according to a recent notification, in a move that sparked
reports of possible food shortages in the Maldives.
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Recep Tayyip Erdogan re elected as the Turkish President
 Recep Tayyip Erdogan had won a 52.54% share of the national vote and re-elected as the Turkish
President, extending his 15-year grip on power. Erdogan has won several consecutive elections to
become Turkey's longest-serving leader.
China bans HBO after UK comedian criticises President Xi Jinping
 China has banned US film and television production company HBO's website following UK
comedian John Oliver's critique of Chinese President Xi Jinping on his show. Oliver had
compared the Chinese President to cartoon character 'Winnie the Pooh'.
India pledges USD 5 million for Palestine Refugees
 A total of 20 countries, including India, announced contributions to the 2018 budget of the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees. In March, India
announced it will increase its annual contribution to the UNRWA from USD 1.5 million to USD 5
million (Rs34.09 crore) from 2018-19 for a period of three years.
 Sweden will contribute USD 250 million over four years, the UK USD 51 million and the UAE
USD 50 million among other donors. Commissioner-General of UNRWA - Pierre Krahenbuhl.
UNESCO may drop the Mesoamerican Reef, Belize from threatened sites list
 The Mesoamerican Reef was marked as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1960. It was placed
on endangered status in 2009 because of Belize’s plans to allow oil exploration. To protect the
site a number of measures were taken by the Belizean government and the activists. Now, UN
body is considering to remove the reef from the UNESCO’s list of threatened World Heritage
sites.
EU leaders agree to extend economic sanctions against Russia
 European Union leaders agreed at a summit in Brussels today to extend economic sanctions
against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine for a further six months.
 The sanctions target whole sectors of the Russian economy including its oil businesses. The
leaders made the decision after a very short discussion on Ukraine, Russia and the Minsk peace
process.
French government reintroduced compulsory national service for all 16 year olds
 Under the plan, all 16 year old French boys and girls would do a minimum of one-month service
in the first phase which would focus on voluntary teaching and working with charities among
others. The second phase will be voluntary and focus on areas linked to defence and security.
 The service program will start at the beginning of the 2019. French Education Minister:- Jean-
Michel Blanquer France's prime minister:- Emmanuel Macron National service ended in Britain
in 1957, though military service remains compulsory in Greece, Russia and Finland.
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US withdraws its military from South Korean capital after 70 yrs
 US withdrew its troops from Seoul after nearly 70 years and moved them to Camp Humphreys in
the city of Pyeongtaek. Camp Humphreys, the largest US overseas military base, was built over a
period of 10 years which cost nearly $11 billion. Over 28,000 US troops are stationed in South
Korea.
IMPORTANT APPOINTMENTS
National Appointments
Person Designation
Amitabh Bachchan The face of Central Railways` anti-trespassing
campaign
Amit Khare Secretary of Information & Broadcasting
Mr. R. Gandhi Electronic Payment Services (P) Ltd Independent
Director
Sharad Kumar Vigilance Commissioner
Mohanlal Lead of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes
Arvind Saxena Acting UPSC chief

S Ramesh Chairman of CBIC
Dr. Inder Jit Singh As Secretary, Ministry Of Coal
Uber India & South Asia President Pradeep Parameswaran
Managing Director of SBI Arjit Basu
First Indian MD of LOreal India Amit Jain
Chairman Of CBIC S Ramesh
ICICI Part Time Chairman Girish Chandra Chaturvedi
UNESCO Ambassador to promote safe and Sonakshi Sinha
secure online environment for children and
help empower our future digital citizens.
International Appointments
Person Designation
Pippa Harris New chairperson of BAFTA
Omar Razzaz New PM of Jordan
Fernanda Espinosa President of 73rd UNGA
Sarita Nayyar WEF Managing Board
Francisco D’Souza Cognizant CEO
Dhivya Suryadevara CFO of General Motors
Jordan PM Al-Razzaz
Colombia's President Ivan Duque
LG - CEO Koo Kwang-mo
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Resignation
Designation Person
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti
Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian
AWARDS AND HONORS
Awards Winners
13th edition of the World Press Cartoon awards Kerala Cartoonist Thomas Antony
'Santokba Humanitarian Award' Kailash Satyarthi
FICCI Smart Policing Awards 2018 Vijay Goel

Pulitzer Prize In Music Kendrick Lamar
Sansad Ratna Award Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance
National Gopal Ratna’ award Dhiraj Ram Krishna
Lifetime Achievement honour at upcoming IIFA Anupam Kher

awards ceremony
Polly Umrigar Award Virat Kohli
China has awarded its first highest state honour Russian President Vladimir Putin
Friendship Medal
Kamila Shamsie's "Home Fire" Book 2018 Women's Prize for Fiction
Japan’s prestigious ‘Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture and Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak
Community’
Prime Minister's Award for outstanding contribution Shri Vishwas Mandalik, Nasik and The Yoga
for promotion and development of Yoga for the year Institute, Mumbai
2018.
Femina Miss India 2018 Anukreethy Vas
Defending freedom award for TIME magazine's list of Syrian girl Bana Alabed
25 Most Influential People on the Internet in 2017.
'India's Sportsperson of the Year' for his stupendous Kidambi Srikanth
performance in 2017
'Team of the Year' Indian women's cricket team
'Coach of the year' Stephen Constantine
Lifetime Achievement Award at the Rome Film Fest. Martin Scorsese
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SKOCH Group has conferred the ‘Best performing Ministry of Women and Child Development
Social Sector Ministry’ award
World Food Prize Lawrence Haddad
David Nabarro
Gold Award at the 52nd Skoch Summit 2018 Sagarmala’
India Smart Cities Awards

1. The city award is being given to Surat for showing great momentum in implementation of projects
especially in the categories of urban environment, transport and mobility and sustainable integrated
development.
2. The Innovative Idea award is being given to a project/idea particularly remarkable for its innovative,
bottom-up and transformative approach towards achievement of sustainable integrated development.
Joint winners in this category are Bhopal for their Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) and
Ahmedabad for Safe and Secure Ahmedabad (SASA) Project.
3. The Project awards are being given to most innovative and successful projects in seven categories that
have been completed by April 1, 2018.
The Projects selected are
1. PMC Care from Pune under ‘Governance’ category,
2. Smart Place Making from Pune under ‘Built Environment’,
3. Smart Class rooms from NDMC and Jabalpur, Smart Campus from Visakhapatnam, Lighthouse from
Pune under ‘Social Aspects’ category,
4. B Nest Incubation Centre from Bhopal and Conservation of Rajasthan School of Arts from Jaipur
under ‘Culture and Economy’ category,
5. Public Bike Sharing from Bhopal, Pune, Coimbatore and Waste to Energy Plant in Jabalpur under
‘Urban environment’ category,
6. Integrated Transit Management System (TMS) from Ahmedabad and Surat under ‘Transport and
Mobility’ category and
7. Smart Water Management through SCADA from Ahmedabad under ‘Water and Sanitation’ category.
IMPORTANT MOU AND AGREEMENTS
India Signs Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in Nursing with Singapore:
 India has signed the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in Nursing with Singapore. This is the first
MRA being signed by India with any of our FTA partners.
India-US colloquium on Earth Observations and Sciences for Society and Economy inaugurated in
Goa:
 The 2nd edition of India-US colloquium on Earth Observations and Sciences for Society and Economy has
been inaugurated at the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO), Dona Paula, Goa.
 It is being organised by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, CSIR-NIO and the US National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Cabinet approves 'Three Year Action Plan of Agricultural Education Division & ICAR Institutes
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the continuation of the
Three Year Action Plan (2017-2020) of the scheme for Agricultural Education Division and ICAR Institutes
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with an outlay of Rs.2225.46 crore[Rs. 2197.51 crore + Rs. 27.95 crore (State share) as salary component
for AICRP-HS]for strengthening and developing higher agricultural education in India.
Raksha Mantri Inaugurates BEL representative office in Vietnam
 Raksha Mantri, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the first Representative Office of Navratna Defence
PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Hanoi, Vietnam.
 BEL, India’s leading defence electronics company, is fast expanding its global presence, putting its best
foot forward to give a thrust to exports worldwide, especially South East Asian countries such as the
Republic of Union of Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines.
Approves MoU between the ICMR and INSERM, France
 The Union Cabinet has been apprised of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU signed between the Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Institute National de la Santeet de la RechercheMedicale
(INSERM), France.
 It aims at cooperation in areas of common interest within medical, health research and life sciences fields.
India, Italy agree to revitalise bilateral ties:
 India and Italy on Monday agreed to boost cooperation in counter-terrorism and cyber security as External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met the top Italian leadership and discussed steps to revitalize bilateral
ties.
India and Tajikistan agree to enhance mutual cooperation for sustainable water development:
 India and Tajikistan have reaffirmed their commitment to promote bilateral relations and agreed to
enhance economic cooperation, particularly in sustainable water development.
Four MoUs signed and 6 at an advanced stage under Adopt a Heritage Scheme
 Under "Adopt a Heritage Scheme", three MoUs have already been signed and six are at an advanced stage
and 31 more Adarsh Monuments are enlisted for coverage under the scheme. The scheme is being
implemented by the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India.
 The four MoUs include: 1. Mount Stok Kangri Trek Route, Ladakh 2. Gangotri Temple Area & Trail to
Gaumukh, Uttarakhand 3. Red Fort, Delhi 4. Gandikota Fort, Andhra Pradesh
Russia To Supply Technical Security Equipment To India
 Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) had announced that its subsidiary Nikiret has signed
an agreement with Indian engineering services firm Core Energy Systems Pvt Ltd for the promotion of its
technical security equipment in India.
India, Cuba sign two MoUs
 India signed two Memorandum of understandings (MoUs) with Cuba to enhance cooperation in
biotechnology and traditional medicine.
 The MoUs were signed after delegation-level talks between President Ram Nath Kovind and his Cuban
counterpart Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel in Havana, Cuba.
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Health Ministry inks MoU with IGNOU
 The Health Ministry has inked an MoU with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to
scale-up short-term healthcare courses and produce over 14 lakh trained manpower by 2025.
 Under this MoU, curriculum for 10 courses especially designed for the health sector, will provide more
than 14 lakh trained manpower by 2025. 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres (HWCs) will come by 2022.
IMPORTANT SUMMIT & CONFERENCE
Geo-Intelligence Asia – 2018:
 The Eleventh edition of Geo Intelligence Asia 2018 organised by Geo Spatial Media and Communication
with Directorate General of Information System as Knowledge Partners and Military Survey as Co-
organizers, took place at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi.
USEFUL INFO
‘Geo Spatial: A Force Multiplier for
Theme
Defence and Industrial Security’.
IBSA Ministerial Meet held in South Africa
 A meeting between external affairs ministers of India, Brazil and South Africa has been organized in
Pretoria, South Africa.
Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on ECD held in Nepal:
 The Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Third Asia- Pacific
Regional Policy Forum on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
KLIP receives approval of Technical Advisory Committee
 The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) in Telangana has received the approval of Technical
Advisory Committee of the Union govt in Delhi. The expected cost of project is Rs 80,000 crore. The
Kaleshwaram project, which is the biggest lift irrigation project in the country, has provision for the storage
of about 148 tmc ft with plans of utilising 180 tmc ft by lifting at least 2 tmc ft water every day for 90 flood
days.
G7 summit 2018 held in Canada
 The 44th G7 summit was held on June 8–9, 2018, in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada.This was the sixth time
since 1981 that Canada has hosted the meetings. The summit received significant attention due to a
significant decline of relations of members with the United States. Due to this, the summit was dubbed the
"G6+1" by France and some members of the media.
Mauritius to host 11th World Hindi Conference
 Mauritius will host the 11th World Hindi Conference in its capital city Port Lois from Aug 18-20, 2018. It
will be organised by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Govt of India in association with Govt of
Mauritius.
 Theme: “Vaishvik Hindi Aur Bharatiy Sanskriti”
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International ICT conference to be held in Nepal:
 The Computer Association Nepal (CAN) is organizing an international-level 'Information and

Communication Technology (ICT) Conference-2018' in Kathmandu on June 17-18.
Thawarchand Gehlot chairs ‘3rd Meeting of National Council of Senior Citizens’
 Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment chaired the “3rd Meeting
of National Council of Senior Citizens(NCSrC)” convened by the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment.
Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GAELF) held in New Delhi
 India has hosted the 10th meeting of Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GAELF) in New
Delhi with the theme ‘Celebrating progress towards elimination: Voices from the field on overcoming
programme challenges’ on Jun 13, 2018.
Conference on implementation of NPS by the CABs held in Delhi
 A Conference on Implementation of National Pension System (NPS) by the Central Autonomous Bodies
(CABs) was organized by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) in Delhi.
106th Science Congress to be hosted by Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Jalandhar:
 Government was announced that The 106th Indian Science Congress will be held at Lovely
Professional University (LPU) in Jalandhar, Punjab from January 3 to 7, 2019.
India To Host European Union Film Festival
 The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) will premiere in New Delhi at the Siri Fort Auditorium. With a
selection of 24 latest European films from 23 EU Member States, this years' film festival brings some
unusual stories for the world cinema enthusiasts. The European Union Film Festival is organized by
Directorate of Film Festivals.
4th Governing Council Meeting Of NITI Aayog Held In Delhi
 The fourth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog was held under the chairmanship of the PM
Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. It was attended by 23 Chief Ministers and the
Lieutenant Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, apart from Union Ministers, who are ex-officio
members and special invitees.
SAARC Development Fund to launch SEDP
 SAARC Development Fund (SDF) will launch the social enterprise development programme (SEDP) as
part of its social window. SEDP will be implemented in all SAARC member states with an objective of
identifying and building social enterprises by using mix of grants and concessional returnable capital.
The 3-day NATIONAL YOGA OLYMPIAD-2018:
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 A 3-day National Yoga Olympiad was inaugurated at the National Council of Educational Research and
Training in CIET in New Delhi by Mr. Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative of the New Delhi
Cluster Office for India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Inter-Governmental Ministerial meeting on anti-doping held in Colombo
 The annual Asia and Oceania Region Inter-Governmental Ministerial meeting on anti-doping held in
Colombo, Sri Lanka. It has been attended by the representatives from 29 countries including India. The
15th such annual gathering is also being attended by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to discuss
important anti-doping issues that will help in the fight for clean sport.
5th National Standards Conclave Held In New Delhi
 The 5th National Standards Conclave- Implementing the Indian National Strategy for Standardization
was held in New Delhi. It was organized by Department of Commerce and Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII).
 Two reports were also released by Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Indian National
Strategy for Standardization (INSS) and CII-ASL Study on TBT/SPS Notifications. INSS is the result of the
combined efforts of Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Consumer Affairs and industry
stakeholders.
7th OPEC international Seminar
 The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will host the 7th OPEC International
Seminar at the Imperial Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria, on 20−21 June 2018.
Theme: Petroleum – cooperation for a sustainable future
PM Modi To Inaugurate 3rd AIIB Meeting In Mumbai
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB) in Mumbai. In the past, AIIB annual meetings have been held in Beijing, China, in
2016 and in Jeju, South Korea, in 2017.
The Theme: "Mobilising Finance for Infrastructure: Innovation and Collaboration"
2018 All India Conference of Directors of Finger Prints Bureaux 2018 held in Hyderabad
 The 19th all India Conference of Directors of Finger Prints Bureaux 2018 has been inaugurated by Hansraj
Gangaram Ahir, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, in Hyderabad.
 Telangana Police hosted the conference. It aims to discuss and deliberate the challenging issues faced by
fingerprint fraternity. It is a forum to evolve better solutions for the problems faced by FP experts in the
course of their duty.
UAE to hold first-ever 'World Tolerance Summit'
 The United Arab of Emirates (UAE) will host a two-day "World Tolerance Summit" in November. The
theme of the summit is"Prospering From Pluralism: Embracing Diversity through Innovation and
Collaboration".
AIIB's 4th Annual Meeting 2019 in Luxembourg

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 Moving out of Asia first time, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)'s Fourth Annual Meeting
will be held in Luxembourg in July 2019.
 Luxembourg is a founding member of AIIB as well as a leading international financial centre and facilitator
of investments between Europe and Asia.
Fifteenth India Australia Joint Ministerial Commission held in Canberra
 The meeting was jointly chaired by Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu
and Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo. The talks culminated in the
signing of an MoU between Austrade and Invest-India in order to facilitate bilateral investment flows.
Prime Minister of Australia - Malcolm Turnbull.
WCD Ministry to organise TECH-THON
 Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India will organize a day-long Seminar on
Technology Partnerships for Steering POSHAN Abhiyaan called ‘TECH-THON’ for POSHAN Abhiyaan -
PM’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment on 28th June, 2018 at PravasiBharatiya Kendra in
New Delhi.
IMPORTANT MOBILE APP AND WEB PORTAL
Home Minister Launched Online Analytical Tool To Monitor Foreign Contributions Under FCRA:
 Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched an Online Analytical Tool to facilitate closer monitoring of
the flow and utilization of foreign contributions received by various organisations registered or permitted
under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010.
Satyen Kothari launches Cube WealthApp:
 Over two years after being carved out of Citrus Payments, Cube Services is now looking to leverage the
growing interest in the mutual funds space. Over two years after carving out of mobile payments service
Citrus, Satyen Kothari’s Cube has re-launched itself as a wealth creation and management platform—one
could invest in mutual funds, track investment, and get access to wealth advisors on its revamped mobile
app.
Election Commission launches its online RTI Portal
 The Election Commission of India has launched its online RTI Portal. The portal - rti.eci.nic.in will
facilitate applicants seeking information under the Right to Information Act. There is online facility to
make payment for requisite fees under the RTI Act.
Google has successfully completed its public Wi-Fi programme to provide India's railway stations
with free internet:
 Google has successfully completed its public Wi-Fi programme to provide India's railway stations with free
internet, with Dibrugarh in Assam becoming the 400th station to go live on Thursday.
 Google had, in collaboration with Railtel, launched free Wi-Fi services to 400 railway stations as a key
initiative under the government's Digital India programme in 2016.
Government launches Rail Madad app

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 The Union Ministry of Railways has launched Rail MADAD (Mobile Application for Desired Assistance
During travel) Application to expedite and streamline passenger grievance redressal. Rail Madad app was
launched inline with Union Govt’s Digital India Initative. The app for the first time completely digitized the
Complaint management system.
Government Launches 5000 Wi-Fi Choupals In Villages And Delivery Of Rail Tickets Through
CSC:
 The government has launched 5,000 Wi-Fi Choupals in villages and delivery of rail tickets through
Common Service Centres (CSCs). It was inaugurated by Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar
Prasad in New Delhi. The move is aimed at transforming rural Internet connectivity through BharatNet.
Cashless Ticketing through 'Utsonmobile' app developed by CRIS
Continuing towards digitalization and moving towards becoming a cashless economy, the initiative of
faster and more techno-advanced transactions in Indian Railways is being taken up, the Centre for Railway
Information System (CRIS) has developed a mobile based application ‘utsonmobile'.
Government teams up with Google for flood warning:

With the monsoon under way, Union Water Resources Ministry has teamed up with Google to generate
flood warnings. If there are signs of an imminent flood, a Google Maps user will be able to see what regions
are likely to see water logging first and if their neighborhood is under threat.
WHO classifies gaming addiction as mental health disorder
 The World Health Organisation (WHO) classified gaming addiction as mental health disorder in its
International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 11.
US scientists unveiled world’s most powerful and smartest scientific supercomputer
 US scientists have unveiled the world’s most powerful and smartest scientific supercomputer named
"Summit" that can complete over 200,000 trillion calculations per second. This supercomputer called
Summit will be eight times more powerful than its previous top-ranked system, Titan.
J P Nadda inaugurates the NIMHANS Digital Academy
 Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the NIMHANS Digital Academy
and addressed the first batch of professionals enrolled for undergoing courses in the fields of Psychiatry
and Psychiatric Social Work.
Mobile app to track missing children launched
 A mobile application for tracking missing and abandoned children was launched by Union Commerce
Minister Suresh Prabhu and Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi here today.
 The app, christened as 'ReUnite', is a collaboration between Bachpan Bachao Andolan led by Satyarthi and
IT major Capgemini.
IMPORTANT DEFENCE NEWS
Trilateral war games to kick off next week
 India, Japan and the U.S. will hold the annual Malabar trilateral naval war games off the coast of Guam in
the Philippine Sea from June 6-15.
DAC approves procurement of radars, air cushion vehicles:
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 The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Thursday approved procurement of high powered radars for
the Indian Air Force and air cushion vehicles for the Army and the Coast Guard together worth over
Rs.5,500 crore.
Indian Naval Ships arrive Guam to participate in Ex-Malabar 2018
 Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri, Shakti and Kamorta of the Eastern Fleet arrived at Guam to participate in the
22nd edition of Exercise Malabar, off Guam, USA from 07 to 16 June 2018.
Navy's INS Sunayna brings home 38 Indians from cyclone-hit Yemen's Socotra island:
 Thirty-eight Indians were on Thursday brought back home by the Indian Navy, four days after they were
rescued from the cyclone-hit Socotra Island in Yemen.
Dhanush artillery gun clears final test:
 India’s first indigenous, long-range artillery gun Dhanush has been successfully passed its final test at
Pokhran, Rajasthan. It paves its way for induction into Indian Army. Earlier the gun had passed tests
under severe cold conditions in Sikkim and Leh and in hot and humid weather in Balasore, Odisha, Babina
in Jhansi.
India to host first BIMSTEC war games in September:
 India will host the first military exercise of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
Technical and Economic Cooperation) group focussing on counter-terrorism in September. As part of this,
a conclave of the Army chiefs of all seven member-states is being planned.
India-Nepal joint military exercise concludes:
 The thirteenth edition of India-Nepal joint military exercise, Surya Kiran-XIII has been concluded at
Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. The joint military exercise was aimed at further enhancing and strengthening
level of defence cooperation between the two neighbouring nations.
US Govt approves sale of AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to India
 The United States State Department approved sale of six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters along with
support equipments to India. The total estimated cost of the deal is $930 million.
 The Apache choppers are one of the most advanced multi-role combat helicopters which have advanced
weapons systems and night-fighting features, manufactured by Boeing.
ISRO plans next launch mission in August
 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has slated its next launch mission, an Earth observation
satellite, tentatively for August. The last one was in April. The upcoming episode will include 25 to 30 small
secondary foreign satellites as passengers on the light payload lifting rocket, PSLV-C42.
DRDO converts Pinaka rocket system into guided missile
 The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) converted the indigenous developed
Pinaka rocket system into a precision-guided missile, with enhanced range and accuracy to hit its targets.
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NASA’s record-breaking spacewoman retires as astronaut
 NASA’s record-breaking spacewoman, Peggy Whitson has announced her retirement as astronaut less than
year after returning from her last and longest spaceflight. During her career, she had racked up total of 665
days in space — more than any other NASA astronaut, and record for women worldwide.
Russia launches Glonass-M satellite
 Russia successfully launched Glonass-M positioning satellite on board of Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket from
the Plesetsk space centre in Mirny, Arkhangelsk Oblast.
 The satellite is part of GLONASS network GLONASS (Russian acronym for Global Navigation Satellite
System) which provides real-time positioning data for surface, sea and airborne objects around globe, at
accuracy reportedly at par with US Global Positioning System (GPS).
Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Rani Rashmoni’ commissioned in Port City Visakhapatnam
 Indian Coast Guard (ICG) commissioned fast patrol vessel (FPV) ICGS “Rani Rashmoni”, in
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It is the fifth and last ship to be commissioned in the series of fast patrol
vessel (FPV) project of ICG. The ship will be based at Visakhapatnam under the administrative and
operational control of Commander, No.6 Coast Guard District Headquarters (Andhra Pradesh).
India, Russia to hold military exercise Indra 2018 during the second half this year
 The tri-service joint Russia-India military exercise Indra-2018 will take place in an Indian military base in
the second half of this year. Russia has been a long-standing defence partner of India.
Indian Army is observing the year 2018 as the Year of Disabled Soldiers in Line of Duty
 To honour soldiers who have been disabled in line of duty, while serving the Nation and to celebrate the
undying spirit of ‘Soldiering’, Indian Army is observing the year 2018 as the ‘Year of Disabled Soldiers in
Line of Duty’.
India and Bangladesh have agreed to institute a Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) as an annual
feature:
 India and Bangladesh have agreed to institute a Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) as an annual feature
between the two Navies. The first edition will be inaugurated by Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba during
his visit there from June 24 to 29.
India to sign 3,400 crore rupees deal with Israel to buy 4500 missiles
 India is set to sign a Rs3,400-crore ($500 million) deal with Israel for the purchase of around 4,500 Spike
missiles for the Indian Army. Spike is a fourth-generation man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank guided
missile designed by Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
First satellite to demonstrate technology to clean up space junk deployed
 The first satellite named, RemoveDEBRIS has been successfully deployed from International Space Station
(ISS).
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 It aims to demonstrate a range of innovative technologies to clean up space debris orbiting Earth. It was
transported to ISS via SpaceX CRS-14 launch in early Apr 2018. The satellite was designed, built and
manufactured by consortium of space companies and research institutions led by Surrey Space Centre at
University of Surrey, United Kingdom.
World’s Largest Multilateral Naval Exercise RIMPAC Begins
 The world’s largest multilateral naval exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) begun off Hawaii in the
Western Pacific Ocean. The two-month long biennial exercise is likely to be attended by navies of 26
countries including India.
NASA To Launch World's Lightest Satellite Designed By Chennai Students
 The first-year engineering students Harikrishan, P Amarnath, G Sudhi and T Giri Prasad from Hindustan
Institute of Technology and Science near Chennai built the 4cm ‘cube’ satellite 'Jaihind-1S' with a 3D
printed outer casing from polylactic acid (PLA) nylon material, making it lighter than a medium sized egg,
at just 33.39 grams.
IMPORTANT SCHEMES AND PROGRAMS
Government introduces new scheme ‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’:
 The Ministry of Culture, Government of India has introduced a new scheme namely ‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’ with
a total outlay of Rs. 325.00 Crores for Financial Years 2018-19 and 2019-20.
 The objective of the scheme is to lessen the financial burden of such Charitable Religious Institutions who
provide Food/Prasad/Langar (Community Kitchen)/Bhandara free of cost without any discrimination to
Public/Devotees.
Committee constituted under to celebrate 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi:
 An Executive Committee (EC) under the Chairpersonship of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has been
constituted comprising of Senior Ministers in the Cabinet, Leader of opposition (Rajya Sabha), Renowned
Gandhian, Social Activists and noted public figures.
Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers launches ‘Jan Aushadhi Suvidha’
 The Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Mansukh L Mandaviya launched the ‘Jan
Aushadhi Suvidha’- the Oxo-biodegradable Sanitary Napkin under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya
Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) in New Delhi.
 The average price of sanitary napkins available in the market today is around Rs 8 per pad, whereas the
cost of SUVIDHA napkins is Rs 2.50 per pad.
Eight States to implement ‘Ayushman Bharat’:
 Eight States and four Union Territories have signed MoUs with the Union Health Ministry to implement
the government’s ambitious national health protection mission — Ayushman Bharat — which aims to
provide a cover of Rs.5 lakh per family annually to 10 crore vulnerable families.
PM’s maternity scheme benefits 23.6 lakh:
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 After initial hiccups in implementing the maternity benefit programme Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana
Yojana (PMMVY), the government has finally made some headway and provided cash incentives to nearly
23.6 lakh beneficiaries out of an estimated 51.6 lakh a year.
‘Government set to unveil Rs.500 cr. credit enhancement fund’:
 The government is set to unveil a Rs.500-crore credit enhancement fund next month to facilitate
infrastructure investments by insurance and pension funds.
PFRDA seeks to double pension limit under Atal Pension Yojana:
 The Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority (PFRDA) has proposed to double the monthly
pension limit to Rs 10,000 from the existing Rs 5,000 under the Atal Pension Yojana. The proposal is now
under the consideration of the central government.
 If approved, it will attract more people towards the scheme and provide better inflation-beating returns.
“We have placed this proposal with the government that it should be increased,” said Hemant G.
Contractor, chairman, PFRDA, at the Atal Pension Yojana Annual Conference
Met Dept To Use Flash Flood Guidance System For First Time To Forecast Floods
 India Meteorological Department (IMD) will use flash flood guidance system for the first time in the
country to forecast floods. Currently, the Central Water Commission issues flood warnings. The national
weather agency is preparing to launch this service from the next month. Different kinds of soil from
various parts of the country have been studied to find out how absorbent each variety was.
Women and Child Development launches ‘#YogaFor9to5’:
 The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) launched a contest, ‘#YogaFor9to5’ focused on
generating awareness regarding benefits of Yoga at Workplace for Women. The contest invites self-
demonstration Videos & Pictures of Yoga Asanas being practiced during office hours. The Ministry proposes
to invite entries on easy Yoga Asanas which can calm Women during her work hours. The deadline for the
contest is June 21, 2018.
Government launches Swajal Scheme in 115 Aspirational districts
 Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation launched Swajal Scheme in 115 Aspirational districts of India to
provide clean drinking water. It involves total outlay of Rs. 700 crores through flexi-funds under existing
National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) budget.
20 States sign MoU for implementing AB – NHPM
 Twenty States signed MoU with Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) for implementing
Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM). The MoUs were exchanged during
Health Ministers’ conclave held in New Delhi. During the conclave, aspects of NHPM, like operational
guidelines, model tender document for selection of insurance companies and implementation support
agencies for trusts were discussed.
KVIC adopts Jagatpur village in Delhi for Swachhata Abhiyaan
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 The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has adopted Jagatpur village in Delhi for its
Swachhata Abhiyaan. The sanitation drive by KVIC began with a plantation drive and ended with
cleanliness drive along the bank of the Yamuna river.
Women Wizards Rule Tech programme launched by NASSCOM
 Indian IT industry’s apex body, NASSCOM (National Association of Software & Services Companies)
launched ‘Women Wizards Rule Tech’ programme to increase number of women in senior levels in
Information Technology (IT) industry.
President inaugurated Udyam Sangam 2018 in New Delhi
 On International MSME (Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) Day 2018, the President of India
Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Udyam Sangam-2018 in New Delhi.
Ten new Swachh Iconic Places taken under Phase II of Swachh Bharat Mission:
 Union Minister for Rural Development Narendra Singh Tomar has announced these places during the
second quarterly review meeting on the Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) held at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, in
Katra, Jammu and Kashmir.
 These ten new iconic places which are to be brought to a higher standard of swachhta and visitors’
amenities are : 3
1. Gangotri,
2. Yamunotri.
3. Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain,
4. Char Minar, Hyderabad,
5. Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assissi, Goa,
6. Adi Shankaracharya’s abode Kaladi in Ernakulam,
7. Gomateshwar in Shravanbelgola,
8. Baijnath Dham, Devghar,
9. Gaya Tirth in Bihar and
10. Somnath temple in Gujarat.
IMPORTANT RANKING AND INDEXES
Niti Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index: Gujarat Tops, Jharkhand Lowest
 Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari released Niti Aayog’s composite water management index
report in New Delhi. Gujarat topped the list while Jharkhand was adjudged as the worst performer.
Gujarat is followed by Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Jio becomes India's second largest telco by revenue:
 According to TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), Mukesh Ambani-ledReliance Jio surpass
Vodafone India as the country’s second largest operator in terms of "access service gross revenue" at
INR62.2 billion ($903 million). Market leader Bharti Airtel still in No:1 with revenue of INR70.8 billion.
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INDEXES RANK
End of Childhood Index 2018 113
Global Peace Index 136
Environment Performance Index (EPI) 177
Cyber Attacks on The Rise Globally 4
Indian real estate transparency 35

IMPORTANT BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Books Authors
NABARD Publication On 'Water Productivity Mapping based on a study of 10 important crops by a team under
Of Major Indian Crops' the leadership of leading agricultural economist Dr.
Ashok Gulati
“The Ivory Throne : Chronicles of the House of Manu S. Pillai
Travancore”
Vedvigyan Alok Acharya Agnivarat Naishthik
Human Rights, Values and Cultural Ethos R.P. Dhokalia.
IMPORTANT SPORTS NEWS
CRICKET
Virat Kohli among world’s highest-paid athletes
 India cricket captain Virat Kohli is the sole player from India to be featured in the world’s highest-paid
athletes, according to a Forbes’ compilation.The list has been topped by American boxing champion
Floyd Mayweather.
Virat Kohli to get Polly Umrigar Award for best international cricketer:
 Virat Kohli will be honoured with the top BCCI award on June 12 with Polly Umrigar Award for being the
best international cricketer for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.
 Harmanpreet and Mandhana, both of whom played a crucial role in India's impressive runners-up finish at
the World last year, will become maiden recipients of the awards for best international cricketer (women)
for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons respectively.
Mithali Raj becomes first Indian to score 2,000 T20I runs
 Star batswoman Mithali Raj has became the first Indian cricketer to amass 2,000 runs in Twenty20
Internationals (T20I).
 Mithali achieved the landmark after scoring a knock of 23 during India's seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka
in the Women's Asia Cup T20.
World records ODI score by NZ women:
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 New Zealand women’s cricket team posted the highest ever total in one-day cricket — an incredible 490 for
four against Ireland in the first ODI in Dublin with skipper Suzie Bates leading from the front with a
blistering 151-run knock.
India lifts Intercontinental Cup in style:
 Twin strikes from Sunil Chhetri and two timely blocks from Gurpreet Singh were the key as India beat
Kenya 2-0 to win the four-nation Intercontinental Cup here on Sunday night.
India suffered a three-wicket defeat against Bangladesh in the final of the women’s Asia Cup T20:
 Six-time defending champion India suffered a three-wicket defeat against Bangladesh in the final of the
women’s Asia Cup T20 cricket tournament at the Kinrara Academy Oval
Smriti Mandhana to become first Indian to play in England’s Kia Super League
 India Women’s Cricket team opener Smriti Mandhana will become the first Indian player to appear in Kia
Super League – the women’s cricket super league in England. She has been signed by Western Storm and
will represent them in the upcoming edition of the tournament that features six teams.
England goes ballistic, posts record 481:
 England broke its own all-time record for the highest total scored in a men’s ODI when it posted 481 for six
against Australia. When Alex Hales (147) hoisted Jhye Richardson for six in the 46th over, it meant
England had broken its own world record total — also set at this venue — of 444 for three against Pakistan
in 2016.
NZ women break T20I record:
 New Zealand broke the record for the highest score in a women’s T20I — 216 for one — en route to beating
South Africa by 66 runs at Taunton on Wednesday. The Kiwis’ total surpassed Australia’s record of 209 for
four against England in Mumbai in March.
 The Kiwi women had recently posted 490 for four — the highest ODI total — against Ireland
Tennis
Bopanna is IOC’s icon of the year:
 Rohan Bopanna’s disappointment in losing the French Open men doubles quarterfinals stood largely
negated by the joy of receiving the “Sports Icon of Year” award at the conclusion of the Sports Conclave
Simona Halep wins 2018 French Open
 Simona Halep from Romania has won her first Grand Slam at the 2018 French Open tennis tournament in
Paris. She defeated Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in a gruelling French Open final to won the title.
Federer is No. 1 again
 Roger Federer overcame Nick Kyrgios 6-7(2), 6-2, 7-6(5) in the semifinals of the Stuttgart Cup. The win
ensured that the Swiss will return to the top of the World rankings when the new list is release.
Football
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Zinedine Zidane quits as Real Madrid coach
 Zinedine Zidane quit as Real Madrid coach on Thursday, less than a week after leading the team to its third
straight Champions League title, saying the club needed a change in command.
FIFA lifts suspension on Guatemala:
 FIFA Thursday lifted a suspension imposed on Guatemala 18 months ago over its failure to comply with
anti-corruption rules.
Sunil Chhetri becomes joint second highest international goal scorer
 India’s football team captain Sunil Chhetri has become joint second highest international goal scorer
among active players along with Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi.
 He achieved this feat after he scored his 64th goal in match between India and Kenya in Intercontinental
Cup summit clash in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
United States, Mexico And Canada Win Right To Host 2026 World Cup
 The United States, Mexico and Canada won the right to host the 2026 World Cup after easily beating
Morocco in a vote by FIFA member nations in Moscow.
 The North American bid received 134 of the 203 votes, while Morocco polled 65 in the ballot at a FIFA
Congress held in Moscow. Football’s showpiece event will return to the North American continent for the
first time since 1994 when the United States hosted the tournament.
French Open 2018: Complete List Of Winners
S.
No Category Winner Runner Up
1. Men's Singles Rafael Nadal (Spain) Dominic Thiem (Austria)
Women's
2. Singles Simona Halep (Rome) Sloane Stephens (USA)
Nicolas Mahut (France) and Oliver Marach (Austria)

3. Men’s Doubles Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) and Mate Pavic (Croatia)
Barbara Krejcikova (Czech

Women's Republic) and Katerina Siniakova Eri Hozumi (Japan) and
4. Doubles (Czech Republic) Makoto Ninomiya (Japan)
5. Mixed Doubles
Latisha Chan (Taiwan) and Ivan Gaby Dabrowski (Canada)
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Dodig (Croatia) and Mate Pavic (Croatia)
OTHERS
Sanjita Chanu provisionally suspended by IWF after failing dope test
 The Indian Weightlifting Federation's (IWLF) ‘attempt’ to make the sport free of doping has received a
major setback with Gold Coast Commonwealth Games gold medallist K. Sanjita Chanu (53kg) testing
positive for a banned anabolic steroid.
Pune’s Sarthak is youngest FIDE rated chess player:
 Pune youngster Sarthak Yashodhan Deshpande has become the youngest current rated chess player in the
country with FIDE ratings of 1,064.
Archana Girish Kamath qualifies for Youth Olympics:
 Table tennis player Archana Girish Kamath on Saturday qualified for the Youth Olympics in her last
attempt, joining fellow Indian Manav Thakkar for the October event in Buenos Aires.
Anu Kumar wins gold, Arpandeep bronze:
 For a youngster who has a personal best of 1:50.60s, Anu Kumar was more than three seconds slower in
the biggest 800m race of his life. That, however, did not matter as Anu won gold in the 18th Asian junior
athletics championship.
Vettel drives to his 50th win:
 Sebastian Vettel claimed the 50th win of his career and reclaimed the lead of this year’s World
championship on Sunday when he ended Lewis Hamilton’s run of supremacy at the Canadian Grand Prix.
India bag 1-Gold, 2-Silver medals at Umakhanov Memorial Tournament in Russia
 Indian boxers bagged one Gold and two Silver medals at the Umakhanov Memorial Tournament in the
Russian city of Kaspiysk yesterday
Saweety Boora wins gold at the Umakhanov Memorial Tournament
 Indian woman boxer Saweety Boora has claimed a gold medal in the middleweight category at the
Umakhanov Memorial Tournament in Kaspiysk, Russia. She beat home favourite Anna Anfinogenova in
the final to finish on top in the 75 kilogram category.
Brooks Koepka Wins 2nd US Open Golf Title 2018
 American golfer Brooks Koepka has made history and finished strong as he became the first player in 29
years to win back-to-back US Open titles at Shinnecock Hills in New York. The 28-year-old Florida native
emerged victorious by one shot over England's Tommy Fleetwood.
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Limba Ram got the financial assistance of Rs.5 lakhs
 Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports Col Rajyavardhan Rathore sanctioned a special financial
assistance of Rs.5 lakhs to former International Archer & Arjun Awardee Limba Ram.
 Limba Ram, who is suffering from neuro generative disease or neurological illness, is undergoing
treatment at Jaipur. He is working for the State Govt of Rajasthan and is in receipt of salary beyond the
ceiling of Rs.4 lakhs fixed under the scheme of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund for
Sportspersons.
R. Praggnanandhaa became the World’s second youngest chess Grandmaster:
 India’s R. Praggnanandhaa became the World’s second youngest chess Grandmaster, at the age of 12 years,
10 months and 13 days, after reaching the final round of the Gredine Open.
Sandeep Sejwal clinches gold at Singapore National Swimming Championships
 Indian swimmer Sandeep Sejwal has clinched the gold medal in men’s 50 meter breaststroke event at the
Singapore National Swimming Championships in Singapore.
Jinson Johnson breaks Sriram Singh’s 42-year record:
 Two-time Asian championship medallist Jinson Johnson gave a commanding performance to break
Sriram Singh’s four-decade-old National record in style and clinch the men’s 800m title in the National
inter-State athletics championships
Indian Shooter Saurabh wins gold medal with world record score at ISSF Junior World Cup
 Sixteen-year-old Indian shooter Saurabh Chaudhary set a new world record and won a gold in the 10m air
pistol event in the ISSF Junior World Cup in Germany. He got 243.7 points in the final. The junior world
record before this was 242.5 by Chinese shooter Wang Zhehao at the first ISSF Junior World Cup of the
year in Sydney. The other Indian in the final, Anmol Jain, fell short of the podium, finishing fourth with
199.6.
Dutee Chand sets new national record in women’s 100m
 Odisha’s Dutee Chand set a new national record in the women’s 100m race when she clocked 11.29 seconds
at the 58th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships being held at Sarusajai Stadium,
Guwahati, Assam. The previous record of 11.30 seconds was also set by Dutee at the Indian Grand Prix in
2017. Dutee has qualified for the Asian Games in 100m and 200m by breaching the qualifying timings at
the Inter-State Championships.
Rani Rampal to lead Indian Women’s Hockey team in 2018 World Cup
 Rani Rampal was announced as the captain of Indian Women’s Hockey team for the World Cup London
2018. Goalkeeper Savita has been named vice-captain. Hockey India announced the 18-member Indian
women’s team for the prestigious World Cup tournament to be played in London in July 2018.
IMPORTANT OBITUARIES
PERSON FIELD
Narayan Prasad Singh The most popular lyricist of Odisha
Maria Bueno The Brazilian “queen” of tennis
LP Shahi Former Union Minister and Congress leader
Pappu Karki The popular Kumaoni folk singer
50 | P a g e
Shantaram Laxman Naik The veteran Goa Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP
Ramchandra Bainda The former BJP MP from Faridabad Lok Sabha constituency
Shahzahan Bachchu A prominent Bangladeshi writer and publisher
Mulubha Jadeja Gujarat Batsman
Adiraju Venkateswara Rao Journalist
Nerella Venu Madhav World-renowned Mimicry artist
Peter Thomson Australian golf player
B Sujatha Devi Poetess
51 | P a g e

Monthly Current Affairs Capsule - June 2018 Highlights

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Monthly Current Affairs Capsule - June 2018 Highlights

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Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule – June 2018

S. No Topics Page No.

2. Important Banking News 2

3. Important Financial & Economy Affairs 8

4. Important Business News 10

5. Important State Wise National News 10

6. Important International News 29

8. Important Awards and Honors 34

9. Important MOU and Agreements 35

10. Important Summit & Conference 37

11. Important Mobile App and Web Portal 40

12 Important Defence News 42

13. Important Schemes And Programs 44

14. Important Ranking and Indexes 47

15 Books And Authors 47

16. Important Sports News 47

17. Important Obituaries 52

June 1 World Milk Day “Drink Move Be Strong”

RBI tweaks norms to boost affordable housing lending:

New Information Repository to be set up by RBI

RBI Amends Gold Monetisation Scheme To Make It More Attractive:

Reserve Bank aims to tighten working capital loan norms:

Reserve Bank eases norms for FPIs to invest in debt:

Centre kick starts merger of RRBs

RBI revises upwards housing loan limits under priority sector

RBI proposes Board of Management for urban co-operative banks

Arijit Basu Appointed SBI's New Managing Director

SBI in process to shut 9 foreign offices as part of rationalisation

HDFC Bank increases lending rate by 10 bps

HDFC, 5th Biggest Consumer Financial Services Company Worldwide: Forbes

MARG ERP Ltd partners with ICICI Bank:

ICICI Bank names Sandeep Bakhshi as COO:

Rana Kapoor re-appointed MD & CEO for Yes Bank

Yes Bank gets SEBI nod for custodian of securities business

YES Bank ties up with Kerala Start-up Mission

World Bank nod for Rs.6,000 cr. groundwater recharge plan:

Mobile banking: Paytm tops volumes, Axis value:

Oriental Bank of Commerce awarded for Atal Pension Yojana

AIIB to invest $200 mn in infra fund

EXIM Bank extends USD 10 million loan facility to Seychelles

IRDA approves LIC-IDBI Bank deal

IMPORTANT FINANCIAL & ECONOMY AFFAIRS

Fiscal deficit for FY18 at 3.5% of GDP:

Government puts FY18 growth at 6.7%:

Cholamandalam to invest Rs. 50 cr in home finance arm:

Indian Oil Most Profitable PSU For 2nd Straight Year

India gives Rs 99 million to Nepal for installing shallow tube wells

SEBI constitutes Group to review ITP framework:

Govt approves financial assistance of Rs. 5.5 lakh per family

Muthoot Fincorp, NSDC To Train 10,000 Youth Under PMKVY

IRDAI Sets Up Panel To Review Norms For Marketing Firms

SEBI Simplifies Buyback Regulations, Changes IPO Price Band Timeline:

India plans to cut oil imports from Iran amid US request:

Reliance Industries investing in India’s first carbon fiber unit:

Microsoft acquires Social Learning Platform Flipgrid in latest challenge to Google:

Microsoft acquires AI startup Bonsai

HCL Tech Acquires German IT Firm H&D

Capital – Amravati; CM – Chandrababu Naidu; Governor - ESL Narasimhan

Singapore signs MoU for Amravati development

Capital – Itanagar; CM – PremaKhandu; Governor - B D Mishra

Andhra Pradesh nod for unemployment allowance

Pattiseema will help revive Krishna delta